Chapter XIX

She glanced at her phone again even as she looked around the neighborhood.  She was in Lower Manhattan - in the Tribeca area of the Financial District - but that wasn’t as disconcerting as the building in front of which she now stood.  Another glance at her phone assured her she was where she was supposed to be according to the address she had entered, but that did nothing to quell her confusion.  She wasn’t sure what she had expected; all she was certain of was that it hadn’t been this.

She slowly walked into the covered walkway of the mid-level high rise on Chambers Street, still half-convinced her GPS had led her astray… because this place looked more like an old bank than any kind of business.  Still, she trusted that the information Xena had shared with her at the convention only days before had been the truth, and she swung open the heavy wooden door with only the tiniest hint of trepidation.

The lobby area made her stop in her tracks and she paused a long moment to take in the old-fashioned, genteel ambiance.  If she hadn’t known better, she’d have sworn she’d crossed a time portal and stepped back into the late, nineteenth century.  As it was, the sharp ring of the phone and ping of the elevator doors opening brought her sharply back into the twenty-first century.  She took a deep breath and approached the receptionist, who offered her a polite smile and an inquiring eyebrow.

“How can I help you, Detective?”

She blinked… until she realized she’d put on her shield that morning, despite having the day off.  She cleared her throat.  “I don’t have an appointment, but I was wondering if I could speak to Gabrielle.  I spoke to her and Xena at the convention last week, and they told me to come by when I was available,” realizing she was rambling by the twinkle in the receptionist’s eyes, though her expression remained stoic otherwise.

“And your name?”

“Benson… Captain Olivia Benson.”

“Give me a moment, Captain, and I’ll ring their PA.  She’ll know whether Gabrielle can see you today.”

Olivia nodded and stepped away from the desk.  She hoped Gabrielle was in, because she really wanted some answers.

“Yes?” came the sharp voice when the phone rang.

“Ms. Novak?  This is Peggy at the front desk.  I have a….” glancing down at her notes.  “… a Captain Olivia Benson down here asking to speak to Gabrielle.  What would you like me to tell her?”

A number of thoughts went through Casey’s head, but she only voiced one.  “You’re certain she asked for Gabrielle and not Xena?”

“Yes, ma’am. She mentioned Xena and the convention last week, but she specifically asked to speak with Gabrielle.”

Casey pinched the bridge of her nose and released a slow breath.  “Give me a minute,” she instructed, and put the call on hold.  She rose from her seat and crossed to the door on her right, tapping lightly before sticking her head in the door.  “Gabrielle?”

“Casey,” she replied with a grin, looking up from her parchment as she reached her quill towards the ink pot on her desk.  “What can I do for you?”

“Olivia’s here, and she’d like to speak to you.”

Blonde eyebrows lifted in question.  “Which Olivia?  Spencer or Benson?”

“Benson.”

“And she wants to speak to me?  Not Xena?”

“According to Peggy, she’s asking to speak to you.”

“All right, then.  Have her come on up.  And ask Xena to come to my office, will you, please?”

“You got it,” Casey replied, shutting the door behind her.  She reseated herself at her desk, then pushed the button for the intercom to Xena’s office.  “Xena, Gabrielle has requested you to join her in her office, please.”

Xena frowned, but nodded, even though no one but her could see it.  “Trouble?”

“I don’t think so.  She just asked me to call you.”

“Got it.  Thanks, Case,” she added before cutting the speaker and moving to make her way through the adjoining door into Gabrielle’s office.  Maybe she could get a few answers.

Meanwhile, Casey lifted the phone and connected herself back to the front reception desk.  “Peggy?  Go ahead and send Detective Benson straight up to the office.  I’ll handle it from here.”

“You got it, Ms. Novak.  She’ll be there directly.”  She hung up the phone and turned back to the detective who was standing in front of the massive fireplace.  “Captain Benson?” waiting for the woman’s eyes to meet hers.  She smiled.  “If you’ll come with me, I’ve been instructed to send you directly to their office floor.”

“Oh, that’s okay.  I can….”

Peggy laughed lightly and held up a key card.  “No ma’am.  You really can’t.  If you’ll follow me, please?” motioning her to the main elevator off to one side and somewhat behind her desk.  She tapped a code into the panel beside the fancy looking door and waited for the door to slide open.  When it did, she slid the cage back, and gestured for Olivia to enter.  She did so, glancing around again - almost convinced she had landed in some sort of steampunk otherworld.  Peggy pushed the card into the slot and pushed the button for one of the top floors.  “Just pull the iron gate closed, and the glass doors will follow of their own accord.  This will take you right to the bosses’ reception area.  Someone will meet you there.”

Olivia caught Peggy’s hand and squeezed it briefly.  “Thank you for your help,” she offered, before releasing her hold and stepping back to close the wrought iron door.  The glass doors followed suit, and in only another moment, she was stopping at the correct floor.

“Curiouser and curiouser,” she mumbled to herself, waiting for the glass to slide away before she touched the cage handle.  Then she snatched the key card and crossed into another unexpected surprise.

************

“Gabrielle?” Xena queried as she stepped through the connecting door.  “Everything all right?”

Gabrielle deliberately wiped the remainder of wet ink from the nib of her quill and placed the lid on her ink pot.  Then she moved the tools to one side of her desk to rest beside the sanded parchment and folded her hands on top before raising her eyes to meet Xena’s.  “I’m not sure,” she replied honestly.  “Detective Benson is here… to see me.”

Dark brows flew into an equally dark hairline.  “Really?  Did she say why?”

“I’m going to say no, since Casey didn’t give me a reason.  We know she was agitated about something last week.  That was why she asked to speak to you in the first place at the end of the conference, wasn’t it?”

“Apparently,” Xena agreed, “though that wasn’t the impression I got then.”  She waved a hand.  “Doesn’t matter.  Let’s see what she wants.  You did want me to stay in here with you, right?”

Gabrielle rose and stepped into Xena’s body, sinking into her embrace when strong arms automatically wound around her body and pulled them closer together.  She sighed in contentment.  “Yes.  Pretty sure whatever this is about, it’s going to involve both of us before all is said and done.”

Xena grinned and brushed a kiss over the strawberry blonde locks tucked under her chin.  “Doesn’t it always?” She asked wryly.  Then she released her hold and allowed Gabrielle to move back to her desk chair before she walked to stand behind her, though she faced the window and looked out at the vista of the city view she could observe from the floor-to-ceiling windows in Gabrielle’s office.  Then they waited for Casey to announce their unexpected visitor.

************

“Hello, Olivia,” came a very familiar voice from the receptionist’s desk.  Olivia stopped short, just off the elevator, and stared for a long moment with her mouth open.  Then she snapped it shut and moved towards the desk.

“Casey?”  She reached out a hand towards the other woman, who accepted it with only the slightest shaking of her own.  “What are you doing here?  Where’s Abbie?”  Casey extracted her hand and offered a pained smile and Olivia immediately felt concern well up.  “Casey?”

“It’s a long story, and we really don’t have time for all of it right now.  Let me let Gabrielle know you’re here.”

“Wait… you work here?  For how long?” clutching at her arm to prevent Casey from walking away.  “Does Alex know?” wondering if her girlfriend would really keep something like this from her if Casey had asked for confidentiality.

“I do… for the past year or so.”  She sighed.  “And no… she doesn’t.  As I said, it’s a long story.”

“I’d like to hear if you can share.”

“Maybe one day,” Casey offered quietly as she lifted Olivia’s hand from her arm, squeezing it lightly before dropping it.  “Let me announce you,” she said as she walked to Gabrielle’s door.  She knocked sharply, the opened the door and stuck her head in.  “Gabrielle?  Captain Benson is here to see you.”

“Show her in and then maybe go out and get a little air, hmm?  You look a little pale.”

“I think that sounds like a great idea,” with a wan smile.  “Can I get either of you anything while I’m out?”

“We’re good.  Take your time.”

“Thank you, Gabrielle.  You can’t know….”

She offered Casey a smile.   “I can… and I do.  Now go.  We’ll be all right here for a little while.”

Casey nodded and exited the room briefly, only to open the door again a moment later to allow Olivia to cross in front of her into the office.  Then she closed the door and grabbed her things from the desk before making her way downstairs.  She just needed a little time and space to get it together.  

************

Gabrielle stood and extended a hand, and Xena turned from the window, though she made no other effort to welcome the detective beyond offering a bare nod of her head.  This was between her and Gabrielle; she was just here for backup in case Gabrielle required some help.  “Olivia, how lovely to see you again,” Gabrielle welcomed.  She motioned to the chair in front of her desk as she resumed her seat.  “Please.  Can we offer you some refreshment?”

Olivia took a seat while shaking her head.  “No… no, thank you.  I’m hoping this doesn’t take too long.”

“How can we help you, Detective?”

Olivia shook her head.  “It’s not like that… not exactly.  Do you remember…?  I mean….”  She shook her head again.  “Sorry, I’m just a little….”  She blew out a frustrated breath and sucked in more air before trying again.  “Last week, when we were in New Orleans at the convention, you told a Halloween story.  You told several, I know, but there was one in particular….”

She trailed off, her vision trained on something beyond the window.  Xena and Gabrielle exchanged glances, then Gabrielle stood and made her way around her desk.  She took the other visitor’s chair and placed a hand on Olivia’s arm.  After a minute, Olivia’s attention returned and she looked over to find Gabrielle watching her carefully.   She tilted her head in thoughtful confusion and arched an eyebrow at Gabrielle.  Gabrielle chuckled.  “Keep practicing, Detective.  Maybe one day you can go pro,” thumbing toward Xena still standing behind the desk, giving her the same look.  Olivia turned her head and had to laugh.  It was a release as much as anything else, and Gabrielle waited until the sound tapered off.  “Feel better?” She asked when Olivia met her eyes again.

“Strangely, yes.”  She rubbed her hands over her face.  “Sorry.  I’m not sure what’s wrong with me today.”

“Why don’t you tell me what brought you here?  What story affected you so greatly?”

“Will you tell me the Navajo story again? The one with the Skin Walkers?”

Gabrielle’s brow furrowed as her gaze turned inward, a little surprised at the request.  Then she nodded.  “Sure,” patting Olivia’s arm before standing and crossing the room.  She paced for a few moments, then turned back to Olivia and took a deep breath.

************

The Navajo have a legend - one designed to scare trespassers and keep children in at night, though many of the Diné both fear and respect the lore, no matter their age.  It is said there exists a creature known as a Skin Walker - a shapeshifter whose sole purpose is to inflict pain and suffering on others.  They are a medicine man or witch who has attained evil supernatural power through murder, and once this is accomplished, they can transform into any animal form they desire… including other humans.  It is believed that they live and work among the Navajo, sneaking out at night to perform a twisted mockery of the sacred chants in order to work their evil magic.

The more chaos and terror they create, the stronger they become… until they can steal the faces of different people, or absorb themselves into someone else’s body and control both their thoughts and actions.  Once they achieve this plateau of power, stopping them is nearly impossible, and raping and killing becomes their sole purpose for being.  Many of the Diné believe that most of mankind’s serial killers are a form of Skin Walker, though they will never discuss such things with outsiders for fear of retribution.

************

“How do you know this?  How did you hear this story?  Because you did hear it, didn’t you?  Despite your gift for storytelling, it’s not something you’re just making up from whole cloth, is it?”

Gabrielle tilted her head at the vehemence in Olivia’s tone, and gave Xena the slightest hand signal to keep her from moving.  “It’s not,” she agreed.  “It’s something I learned about from the Diné a long time ago.”

“How is that even possible?”  Olivia rubbed a hand over her eyes. “By your own admission, they don’t talk about this with outsiders.  And no offense, Gabrielle, but you are obviously not Navajo.  So how do you know this??”

Gabrielle cocked her head and looked into Olivia’s dark eyes intently.  “I need you to take a deep breath, and dial it back a notch or six, Detective.”  She held up a hand before Olivia could protest.  “I understand you’ve been thoroughly rattled by what I said, and for some reason it seems to have shaken you to your very core.  However, you need to get a handle on yourself.  I promise to explain it to you, all right?  But I need you to be calm and rational if we’re going to continue this line of conversation.”

Olivia drew in a deep breath and nodded her head in agreement.  She’d seen Xena stiffen in response to her raised voice, and she was pretty sure she didn’t want to provoke her more than that.  Unlike Gabrielle, whose steel seemed to rest beneath the surface of gentility and kindness, Xena radiated danger and uncertainty.  And Olivia had no desire to poke that particular bear.

She closed her eyes and released the breath she’d been holding, rubbing her hands over her eyes and taking another breath.  Only when she felt a tap at her shoulder did she open her eyes, not surprised to find Xena standing there holding out a glass of water.  “You all right now?” She asked, with only the faintest hint of warning in her tone.

“Yes, thank you,” Olivia replied as she accepted the glass and the warning with equal aplomb.  “You have to understand,” she continued, looking back towards Gabrielle after taking a large swallow.  “I heard a story like this from the time I was a small child.  Only….”

“Only what?” Gabrielle prompted as the silence dragged out.

Olivia pinched her lip thoughtfully.  “You probably know my background.  My mother was an English professor at Hudson University whose primary interests lay in literature.  She was also associated with the Iroquois Confederacy, even though I’m still not completely sure on the whys and wherefores of her dealings with them.”  She waved it away with her hand.  “Doesn’t matter… not for the telling of this anyway.  What matters is that she was involved enough to be collecting their stories, and some of them I heard from the time I could crawl.  One of them was the story of the Rake.  Similar to the Skin Walkers, it was said if you could see them - if you looked at them directly - they would kill you just for the sport of killing.”

Gabrielle nodded her head.  “I’ve heard much the same.  The Western nations had skin walkers; the Northeast had rakes; the South had Crawlers.  But the legend remains very similar no matter their origin.”

“One of the things my mom always cautioned about - something you yourself just repeated - was the fact that it was a secret you had to keep… not a story to share.  There would always be retribution for those who couldn’t hold their tongue.”  She snorted softly.  “I was never quite sure I believed her, but I never tried to find out either.  The whole idea just… creeped me out.”

“As it should,” Gabrielle said softly.  “Your mother didn’t lie to you, Olivia; those weren’t just stories.  Skin Walkers and Rakes and Crawlers truly do exist, and they are some of the most vile, evil creatures to roam the earth.”

“Then why talk about them?  Why make them even more real for people who cannot see or understand?  And that still doesn’t tell me how and why you are able to share this when so many native people can’t and don’t.”

“Skin Walkers have no power against me.  They tried - more than once - to go up against me, and have learned to steer clear,” smiling slightly when she saw Olivia’s eyes bug out of her head as her jaw dropped.  “Telling people about them at this time of year?  It lessens their impact; no one believes that they are real if they’re just part of a scary story.  And the story I told you was just a story - the legend that the Navajo have passed down for generations.  It wasn’t necessarily the truth.”

“Wait - you’ve gone up against Skin Walkers and survived??  How?  Mom said it wasn’t possible.  Once they had you, you were theirs.”

“Not if Xena is your champion,” Gabrielle answered with a fond look at Xena.

“Wait… what?  How did…?  What…?  Could you start from the beginning and tell me the whole story?  Please?”

Gabrielle looked at Xena, who nodded her head minutely.  Olivia’s brow furrowed in confusion, but she let it pass in hopes that Gabrielle would explain.  In only a moment, her patience was rewarded.  Gabrielle sat back in her chair and steepled her fingers together, meeting Olivia’s eyes squarely.  “Do you remember our first convention… when we were at Disney and Xena surprised me with a storytelling session I went into with almost no prep?” waiting for Olivia to acknowledge the memory.  “The story I told then was one based in a legend that was popular when ancient Greece was still in its infancy.  But I didn’t tell all of the legend.  It was also told that when good met evil and chaos was let loose into the world, a number of other worldly creatures were also brought into our plane of existence - some good… some bad.  Among those, was the beast known as the Skin Walker.”  She sighed and folded her hands together, dropping them to her lap and letting her eyes follow for a long moment.  Then she looked up once more.

“Xena and I have had a long, interesting life together, exploring much of the world and its mysteries.  Some things we’ve confirmed as completely bogus, but others….  At one point, we were separated for a while, and Xena made friends with a number of Native peoples from many different cultures.  She noticed how many of their myths tended to run in the same direction, and when we were finally reunited, we decided to check things out for ourselves."


Chapter XX

The Cheyenne were the first we visited, because they, more than any other Nation, had become family to Xena.  Nothing happened while we were there, but Xena had a reputation there as a strong, fierce warrior, and as her mate, I was accepted by proxy.  It would have taken more than a single Skin Walker to destroy her, and they knew this.  They also knew her brothers would stand with her, so they let us be, and we moved on to the Diné.  With the Navajo, the respect was there because she came to them as a warrior, but otherwise they knew little about her, and nothing about me beyond the fact that I was a storyteller.  That made me accepted simply because the Diné love a good story, and I do all right on that front,” snickering when both Olivia and Xena rolled their eyes at her pronouncement.

Anyway, the first night we were there, we told stories back and forth, sharing legends and myths and generally getting acquainted with one another.  It was fun, and there was a lot of laughter around the campfire that evening, but when the coyotes started to howl, the gathering broke up almost immediately, and everyone went to their own homes.  Xena and I had been given guest quarters, and we did the same, locking the door carefully as we had been instructed.”

************

“You didn’t think it was odd that they were so precise about locking your door?”

“Not really.  When you’ve traveled the world like we have, you learn to listen and follow the local customs as much as possible.  It generally saves a lot of grief.”

“So, what happened?”

************

When we entered our dwelling, we shut and locked the door, then set about getting ready for bed.  Before we could crawl in or turn out the bedside light, a horrible scream emanated from just the other side of the door, and it shook as though a great weight had been thrown against it.  It made us both jump, quite frankly.

It only happened once that first night, and we didn’t think a lot about it once morning came.  It was entirely possible that someone was playing a trick - after all, it was that time of year, and that is part of a lot of initiations… trying to scare folks, I mean.

We went about our business for the day, not overly concerned… especially since no one else seemed to be bothered by whatever it had been.  That night, we did the same again - telling stories around the fire until the coyotes started to howl.  Once again, everyone proceeded to their homes and locked up carefully behind them.  This time, Xena put her sword by the bedside table… just in case.

************

“Um… sword?” Olivia asked.

“Only because you wouldn’t let me put it under the pillow,” Xena groused.

“Xeee-naaa,” Gabrielle drawled in a chiding manner.  “Your sword has never belonged under the pillow.  There’s too much likelihood of injury.”

“Waitaminute… sword?” Olivia tried to clarify again.

“Well, it’s not like I can lay it beside me like I used to.”

“True, but it’s not like either of us is going to give up the comfort and luxury of a good mattress either.”

“HEY!” Olivia finally broke in, causing both Xena and Gabrielle to look at her in surprise.  “What sword??”

“Xena’s sword,” Gabrielle replied practically and without hesitation, watching the confusion and disbelief grow in Olivia’s brown eyes.  “Just go with it, Detective,” she instructed.  “It’s the truth.”

Olivia nodded slowly, though her confusion was still apparent.  “All right,” she conceded.  “I’d love to know more about it though.”

“Maybe one day,” Xena replied nonchalantly.  

“Suffice it to say Xena is well-versed in a number of weapons… including those no longer in use.  She finds great pleasure and comfort in being able to wield just about anything with an unmatched level of expertise.  And people tend to overlook a lot if they themselves are unfamiliar with things.  No one looks twice if she carries a sword - they assume it is a prop weapon for some kind of role play,” not mentioning when any of this took place or how long the sword had been part of their lives.

Olivia turned back to Xena at Gabrielle’s words.  “Now I’d really like to know more.  However, we’re kind of off track.  What happened next?”

************

The second night, we actually made it into bed when we heard the screech and felt the rattling on the door.  Xena was on her feet - sword in hand - before the tremors stopped.  When a second scream reverberated through the air and the door shook again, Xena let out her own war cry as she hit the hilt of the sword against the door.  We heard the being skitter away before anything else happened.

We waited for a repeat, but it never came, and eventually, we settled down to sleep.

The following morning, Xena and I sat down with the Chieftain.  That was when we first heard the legend of the Skin Walkers.  The story didn’t come without a little coaxing, but given our experiences of the two previous nights, it also wasn’t especially difficult to persuade him to share, though it was done in whispers as we walked out in the open fields.  The Chief was clearly more than a little disturbed by what had happened to us, and quite curious to know how we had managed to survive, as their legend - like the one your mother told you about the Rake - tells that once a Skin Walker has targeted you, it will take you.

************

“What did you tell them?”

“The truth.  We had no idea why it targeted us, nor why it had yet to do more than try to frighten us away.”  What Gabrielle didn’t share with Olivia, nor had she shared with the Chieftain at the time, was their belief that their Bacchae nature was what had attracted the Skin Walker - because he recognized them as a threat.

“So, what happened?”

Gabrielle’s eyes narrowed.  “You know… you’re starting to sound a lot like Emma did, once upon a time.”

Olivia had the grace to smile sheepishly and shrug.  Gabrielle just smiled and shook her head, then continued on with her story.

************

The third night, we were prepared, knowing he was coming.  Skin Walkers are very deliberate when they choose a victim - it’s never random - and they always pick a target and pursue such until they have successfully carried out whatever ending they have chosen.  So, we knew he’d be back - it was simply a matter of when.

That night, I stood at the door and waited, expecting - *knowing* - the Skin Walker would return once more.  Xena stood behind me, sword at the ready.  We listened for his approach, and just as he started to shriek, I jerked the door open, stepping out of the way to allow Xena to strike down….

************

Gabrielle trailed off, her mind locked into the horror that had been that night so many years ago.  She always tended to block the terror and panic that followed that memory.  Olivia looked at her pale features in concern, but before she could move to offer comfort, Xena was kneeling at Gabrielle’s feet.  She clasped the cold hands that were clutching the arms of the chair in which she sat, loosening her hold and pulling them into her own.  She chafed them gently, waiting for green eyes to track to hers.  When they finally met, Gabrielle moved one hand to cup Xen’s cheek while rubbing her thumb across the strong cheekbone.  Xena leaned into the touch, closing her eyes briefly before meeting Gabrielle’s again, smiling sadly at the inherent grief reflected back at her.

“I’m all right, Xe,” she promised.  “I just… I try not to remember that, so it always knocks me for a loop every time I have to confront that particular truth - either of them really,” knowing Xena understood exactly what she meant.

“I’m sorry,” Xena whispered.

Gabrielle leaned forward and brushed a kiss over the proud forehead.  “I know.  And I’ve forgiven you.  It doesn’t change what happened nor my reaction to it, and it never will.  But I promise you, I’m all right… and so are we.”

“I love you, you know.”

“I know - I love you too. But I probably should finish the story.  I’m sure Olivia here is wondering what on earth is going on at this point.”

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t curious,” Olivia admitted softly. “But it’s not so important any more either.  I’m sorry for bursting in here like I did, demanding answers.  I didn’t realize it would be so traumatic or bring up such unhappy memories for you.”

Gabrielle met her eyes and shook her head.  “You, probably more than most, were entitled to ask.  After all, you knew the legend and the caveats surrounding it.  Allow me to tell you how this particular story ends.”

Xena rose and took her place behind Gabrielle, strong hands on her shoulders as a reminder of her presence and Gabrielle took hold of one and smiled as Xena wrapped their fingers together.  Then she resumed her story.

************

When I jerked open the door, I froze, because standing in doorway was Xena… only not.  The Skin Walker had assumed her face and shape, which was when we knew it was coming for me.  Fortunately, Xena didn’t hesitate, and before the Skin Walker could move, she’d stepped forward into the doorway and swung her sword, removing the head from the body in one smooth stroke.  Though the body collapsed where it stood, blood sprayed everywhere and the head bounced twice before it came to rest at my feet. Only when it stopped moving did we realize that it was the Shaman.

We left our dwelling and went back to the fire pit.  When we stirred the embers into a blaze, the Diné returned, curious to know what had happened.  The Chieftain was the one to approach us, frowning when he noted the blood spattered over both Xena and me.  “You succeeded?” he asked, head tilted in question.   

“We did,” I assured him.  “Your Shaman is dead.”

There was an outcry from the Shaman’s first wife, but none of the rest showed much surprise beyond the fact that we had defeated him.  Still, we knew enough to take our leave.  As grateful as they were for the destruction of the Skin Walker, the fact that we were able to defeat such evil simply made us even scarier.  So, we left; it was many years before we returned to the Navajo.  We went among many of the other Nations; sometimes we were attacked, and others we were simply hunted.  Eventually, however, our reputation for being able to defeat the Skin Walkers proceeded us, and we were left alone.

************

“They do still exist, both in lore and in reality.  But they have learned to steer clear of us and keep things on the down low.  Because no one really wants us to get involved again… including us.  People die, and it brings back a lot of memories we’d rather not remember.”

“I’m sorry,” Olivia offered softly.

“Don’t be,” Gabrielle instructed.  “I never would have shared the legend if I had known anyone else was so familiar with it.  I thought it was obscure enough that no one would be aware of the details… even if the details aren’t the strictest truth.  Lesson learned.”

“Well, I appreciate you sharing it with me… all of it.  I won’t… I won’t share this with anyone.  You’re both entitled to keep your secrets, even though I’ll admit to a lot of questions and curiosity now.”  She rose from her chair and extended a hand toward Gabrielle, waiting until she accepted it before tugging her gently to her feet.  Then she shifted her grip until she was clasping Gabrielle’s hand between both of hers.  “Thank you, Gabrielle.  I can’t imagine that was pleasant, and it sounds a little ridiculous, but it… well, it puts my mind at rest.  I’m sorry I brought such terrible memories back for you.”

Gabrielle covered the hands holding hers.  “Thank you, Olivia.  I’m glad it gave you some peace.  If you have any more questions….”

“If I have any more questions, I might just run them past Xena first.  I’m fairly confident she wouldn’t be particularly forgiving if I barge in here like this again, and you deserve better.  You both do.”

“You know how to reach me, Olivia,” Xena assured, coming up to wrap her arms around Gabrielle’s middle. “And I assure you I’ll find time to talk to you.”

Olivia eased her hands from Gabrielle’s grasp, and offered one to Xena, grateful when she shook it without hesitation.  “Thank you, Xena,” nodding her head.  “Gabrielle.  Please tell Casey I was happy to see her and hope to be in touch with her again soon.”  Without another word, she turned and left the office.

Gabrielle patted the hands at her belly.  “Do you need to…?” gesturing towards the elevator.

“Pretty sure she paid attention coming up, but I guess we’ll see.  Meanwhile, I’ve got a couple calls to make.  Are you going to be all right?”

“I’m fine,” waving away Xena’s concern, though they both knew her words were less than the truth.  “Go do your thing.  I’ve got some writing to finish.  Maybe we can go home early today.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Xena agreed.  She brushed a kiss over Gabrielle’s lips, then headed for the door to her office.  “See you shortly.”  Gabrielle nodded and walked back around her desk, slowly retrieving her parchment and quill.  She had some thinking to do.

************

Sam looked up and stretched, pleased with the work she was accomplishing.  Despite the interruptions to her day - or perhaps because of them - she was making excellent progress on her novel.  It was the first in what she hoped would become a series; she had a number of ideas she was anxious to write - she just had to remember not to try to write them all at once.  Fortunately, she had Brooke as her first editor, and Brooke never failed to make her work better... even when Sam wasn’t always happy to hear the honest opinion and critiques she got.

She turned and twisted her back first one way and then the other, careful not to let her computer slide, and sighing when her back popped into place.  She shifted once more and settled the computer back on her lap, fingers poised on the keys as she let her eyes drift to something beyond the screen.  She’d just started typing again when she caught a sharp, swift movement in the periphery of her vision.  She turned her head and let her eyesight sharpen to find Casey Novak walking aimlessly across the park at a pace that could have been considered leisurely had she not been hunched over with her arms crossed defensively over her chest and her eyes glued firmly on her feet.  As someone who prided herself on her ability to read body language, Sam took one good look at Casey and called out to her.

“Ms Novak?”

Surprise brought green eyes up, and she immediately found Sam McPherson waving her over.  She hesitated only a moment before deciding that a friendly face, even one she didn’t know very well, would be a welcome relief from the thoughts currently whirling around in her head.  She lifted a hand in greeting and offered a small smile as she changed direction to meet Sam.

“Hello, Ms McPherson.  Is everything all right?”

“Please call me Sam.  I know we’re not great friends yet or anything, but I think we could be and my friends call me Sam.”

“All right, Sam.  I’m Casey.  Is everything all right?”

“I was going to ask you the same thing, actually.”  She held up her hand.  “You don’t have to share if you’re not comfortable doing so, but I know something is wrong.  Keen observational skills are part of my job, and you looked like you could use a friend.”

Casey smiled, though she couldn’t stop the tears that rushed to her eyes.  She blinked fast and shook her head to keep them from falling.  “Would you like to join me for lunch?  I came out for a bit of air, but I think I’d like to sit down with a friend and catch up for a while.”

Sam’s eyes widened, but she was nodding her head before Casey could finish speaking.  “Yeah... sure!  Just let me....”  She grabbed her computer and slammed it shut, then jammed it into her backpack.  “There!” she exclaimed.  “I’m ready.  Where would you like to go?”

“I have a favorite little hole-in-the-wall place just around the corner.  They serve the best bagels in the City.”

“That’s a hell of a brag, Novak.”

“C’mon, McPherson... I’ll prove it to you.”  With a laugh, they headed out of the park together.


Chapter XXI

“Your left, Kid!” Helena screamed as she kicked the goon in front of her hard enough to send him flying.  She elbowed the man behind her as he tried to wrap her in an unwanted embrace, grabbing his head and flipping him over her back as she spun and punched the last man close to her right in the throat.  She ran up the side of the wall, allowing her momentum to take her head over heels so she was standing between Dinah and the last two baddies doing their best to break through her wavering shielding.  Helena grabbed each of them by an ear and slammed their heads together as hard as she could, grinning at the crack the effort caused as they slumped to the ground.  She bent over, hands on her knees as she sucked in a deep breath, then she released it slowly as she straightened and stretched.  She turned back and looked at Dinah, who wouldn’t meet her eyes.  She took two steps and slid her hand through the shield, reaching out and lifting Dinah’s chin. Hazel eyes remained downcast; Helena tapped her chin until Dinah reluctantly brought her eyes up to meet gold.  “You all right, D?”

Dinah nodded slowly, though Helena could see the unease in her eyes.  “Your head bothering you again?”

“Huntress?” Barbara called out over the comms.  “Canary?”

Dinah shook her head.  “Not… not like you think.  Not like it did last week in New Orleans.”  She shook her head again.  “I dunno, Hel.  Something is off.”

Helena frowned.  “You think it has something to do with what Darius did?”

“Huntress!  Report!” Barbara snapped.

“Send out the boys in blue, Oracle.  We’ve wrapped up this operation for now; anything else on tap?  If not, we’re coming in.”

Barbara frowned.  It was still early, relatively speaking, and Helena was never one to turn down the opportunity to kick ass.  So for her to be voluntarily returning early…. “Huntress?  Is everything all right?”

“Not sure, Oracle, but I don’t think so.  We’ll be there in a few, and we’ll fill you in.”  Helena turned her head and peered at Dinah with concerned blue eyes.  “You gonna be okay going back or you wanna ride?”

Dinah’s eyes widened considerably.  Surely Helena didn’t mean to carry her home.  She knew Helena loved her, though it was never spoken aloud of course.  But she had never been so solicitous, never mind accommodating.  It was, quite frankly, a little unnerving.  She blinked as long fingers snapped in front of her face, and she brought her focus back to the present, to find Helena staring at her with a frown and a hint of impatience.  She caught Helena’s hand in hers to stop the infernal snapping, and Helena smirked.  Dinah narrowed her eyes and thrust the offending hand away.  “I’m all right, but if you’re offering,” she continued with a leer, causing a dark brow to climb up Huntress’ forehead.  “I’d love a lift.”

Helena snorted.  “I’ll bet you would.  Floating in the bubble isn’t nearly as fun as racing over the rooftops.”

“So you’ve said.  Time to put up or shut up, Huntress.  Put your money where your mouth… EEK!” squealing loud enough that Barbara, who had been listening to the repartee through the still-linked comms, was forced to jerk it out and rub her ear.  She could only imagine how Helena felt, but she missed most of their byplay after that and could only wait for them to return to the Clocktower.

It wasn’t long, however, before she heard Helena’s boots hit the balcony ledge and then drop to the ground with a heavier-than-usual thud, only to be followed by a much lighter stomp seconds later.  It took longer than usual for the door to open, but after a moment, Helena crossed the threshold with Dinah on her heels.  One look, though, and Barbara was rolling down the platform.  Helena’s expression was one of frustration, while Dinah seemed paler than normal and shaky enough that her tremors were clear even from a distance.  Helena ducked her head, brushing her lips over Barbara’s and smiling when it went on for longer than the brief touch they usually shared in front of Dinah.  Helena smirked.  She knew Barbara had absolutely no need to be jealous, but she kind of loved how possessive she got when she was.  Still, as much as her libido and her ego appreciated the attention, she knew Dinah’s wellbeing had to take precedence.  She broke off the kiss with a nip to Barbara’s lower lip, causing her to gasp and lean their foreheads together.

“I love you, Barbara.”

“I love you, too, Hel.  I just….”

Helena put a finger over her lips and shook her head slightly, crossing her eyes to meet Barbara’s up close and personal.  “I know,” she whispered.  “But you have nothing to worry about.  It’s always been you for me, yeah?” smiling when green eyes closed and the redhead nodded.  “Good… never forget that.  Now what say we see if we can figure out what’s bothering Dinah.  Something’s not right; you know, like it should be.  I’m wondering if it has something to do with our trip to New Orleans last week.”

Barbara pulled back, genuine concern lacing her features; a frown almost immediately replaced her expression, followed by a wave of guilt.  She knew she had no basis for her jealousy - both Helena and Dinah had taken great pains to give her no reason to feel jealous or left out.  It didn’t stop it from happening, however… or from making her feel guilty when she did.  It was even worse when Dinah was suffering, because Helena could usually help ease that - which made Barbara feel petty and selfish for requiring reassurance.  She sighed as she made her way to the couch where Dinah had sort of semi-collapsed, laying stretched out with an arm covering her eyes and breathing slow, regulated breaths.  Barbara pinched the bridge of her nose briefly as she reached Dinah’s side, wondering again at the wisdom of allowing her emotions free reign, as it were.  She thought back to a conversation she’d had with Gabrielle years before, when she was first coming to terms with her feelings towards Helena.  It had been one of the things that cemented the depth of their friendship.

************

“I don’t know, Gabrielle.  It just… it seems wrong, somehow… like I’m taking advantage….”

Barbara trailed off when Gabrielle covered her lips with a finger and took a seat beside her.  They’d been friends since before Selina was murdered and Helena was left in her care.  It was Gabrielle whose not-so-subtle words made her realize she was losing Helena by ignoring what was obviously between them.  It didn’t stop her from have a crisis of faith almost every day, despite how happy they made one another… or maybe because of it.  Barbara had long ago learned the hard way that happiness was an illusion - a diaphanous cloud of gossamer wings that would dissolve into nothingness at the slightest hint of wind or turmoil.  Gabrielle studied her with sad, wisened eyes, and Barbara chanced to wonder what could cause her friend to seem so much older than her looks portrayed her as.  She caught Gabrielle’s hand as it left her lip and clasped it, not at all surprised at the melancholy half-smile it garnered her nor the fact that Gabrielle’s other hand came up to cover their joined hands.

“I see a number of similarities between you and Helena and Xena and me.  Not like you would expect, though.  In this instance, Helena is a lot like Xena, and you remind me much of myself.  I’m going to share something with you - something I’ve told very few other people in my lifetime and nothing I’ve said to anyone in longer than you can image.”  Barbara frowned at Gabrielle’s deliberate choice of words.  She felt fairly confident that Gabrielle was in fact younger than her, but the words made it sound as though she’d been alive forever.  Before she could ask, Gabrielle shook her head.  “Don’t,” she commanded.  “Just trust me,” waiting for Barbara to agree, no matter how hesitantly.  “Good,” Gabrielle smiled again.  “When I was younger - about the age Helena was when her mother was killed - I ran away from home.”  She glanced down, then looked up to meet Barbara’s eyes.  “My home life was… rough; my father didn’t approve of my desire to be a bard.  So, when Xena came through, kicking ass and taking names, I decided to go with her… much to her dismay.  I knew she was gonna change my life - I just didn’t know how much,” giggling softly and seeing Barbara’s answering smile before she sobered and shook her head.

“I’m sure this is all very interesting, Gabrielle, but I don’t understand….”

“Hush,” Gabrielle instructed, “and let me finish.  Honestly, you kids nowadays have absolutely no patience or appreciation for the details.”  Barbara honestly wanted to laugh, but she had the distinct impression Gabrielle was serious, so she waited silently.  “Xena was something of a badass in her youth… a real troublemaker,” smirking when she heard Barbara chuckle.  “I know - hard to believe, right?  But still, I clung to her - not just because I thought she was a better option than my parents, but because even when I was too young and stupid to recognize what she was… who she would be to me - part of me also knew she was my future.”  Gabrielle shook her head and smiled sadly, remembering the painful growing up she’d had to do; remembering all the mistakes they’d made and the lessons they’d learned along the way.  Some of those memories brought tears to her eyes, and it took her a moment to acknowledge Barbara when she felt a gentle hand on her face.  She blinked the tears from her eyes as she met the concern in those facing her and leaned into the caring touch as Barbara wiped the tears from her cheek.

“You all right?”

Gabrielle nodded.  “Yes.  Some memories are more painful than others as you’re well aware and growing pains can be the worst among them,” seeing Barbara look away as she agreed.  Gabrielle clasped the hand as it slid from her face.  “What I’m trying to tell you - and doing a piss poor job at for someone who fancies themselves a storyteller - is that there is nothing wrong with the way you feel nor the way Helena feels about you.  She’s loved you since she was a child, and if you’re honest with yourself, you’ll realize you’ve felt the same.”  She held up her hand before Barbara could protest.  “I’m not saying you were in love with her as a child, but you have loved her almost from the start, and that love has grown and changed as she has.”  She sighed and turned Barbara to meet her eyes.  “I’m not going to tell you what you should do.  I can only tell you what I see - what I experienced… that some part of me knew Xena was it for me when I met her eyes for the first time, even though it took some painful lessons and some hard growing up to acknowledge it.  But she waited for me - gave me the room to make my own mistakes and grow up.  She knew I would figure it out eventually… kinda like Helena has done for you.”

“Gabrielle, I am older than her by almost a decade!”

“And?  Barbara, I love you dearly, but you are one of the most self-controlled individuals I have ever met, Xena included,” smiling when green eyes blinked at that declaration.  “And Helena, for all her youth and immaturity, is very in touch with how she feels… how she’s always felt, especially about you.  But she’s not gonna put herself out there if you’re not honest with yourself… and her.  She’s done everything she can to show you how she feels without saying the words, and you’ve given her absolutely no reason to think you care for her as anything more than her best friend.”  She could see and feel the anger building inside Barbara and shook her head.  “Xena told me I should mind my business and stay out of this.”

“You probably should have listened,” Barbara gritted out between clenched teeth.  The only reason she hadn’t rolled away was because Gabrielle still had a grip on her hands, which surprisingly, Barbara couldn’t seem to break.

Gabrielle shrugged.  “Probably.  But the truth is, you need to hear this, and I’m probably the only person who would say this to you.  You’re going to lose Helena if you’re not careful.  With Xena and me, it was easier in some ways because we followed a few more of society’s ‘norms’, such as they were.  She was older, wiser… more experienced in everything about the ways of the world.  Really, all she had to do was be patient and let me grow up and figure us out for myself.  You and Helena, on the other hand - she was a child and you were her guardian; but this is something she’s known from the beginning… much like Xena did the first night she invited me to stay with her instead of leaving me on my own.  And you, you’re like me in a lot of ways - you still have some learning to do.  The difference is that Xena was grown, and Helena, despite whatever emotional maturity she had concerning her feelings for you, still had to grow up.  And while she isn’t really a very patient person about practically everything in her life, to her credit, she’s been exceptionally patient with what she considers a lost cause.”

“She thinks I’m a lost cause?”

“No.  She believes her feelings for you are.  That is why you will lose her if you don’t step up soon.  She will decide she needs space to get over them, and she will leave.  If that happens, you will likely never see her again.  For all her sexual prowess and teasing, Helena’s never been much of a masochist.”

“How do you know all this?” Barbara asked after a period of silence that she spent looking out the Clocktower window.

Gabrielle shrugged as she rose, crossing her arms over her chest and looking around the room carefully though Barbara was no longer looking in her direction.  She knew she was watching the reflection in the glass.  “I told you - it’s kinda familiar.”  She sighed and turned to put on her coat and pick up her purse.  “I’m sorry if I’ve offended you or hurt your feelings.  But I figured it would be better for you to hear it from me than to wake up one morning and have her just not be there.  What I’m saying makes you angry, and that’s okay because you’re angry at me.  Her being gone from your life with no way to contact her….”  Gabrielle hesitated when Barbara sucked in a shuddering breath that radiated pain.  She nodded, knowing Barbara could see her even if she didn’t acknowledge that fact.  “Exactly,” she continued softly.  “It would have devastated you, and that’s a hard, hard thing to come back from.”

Barbara closed her eyes and put a hand over her heart, breathing in slowly and counting as she exhaled.  This went on for several minutes before she was able to open her eyes again.  She met Gabrielle’s gaze in the glass.  “You know that personally, don’t you?  Somehow, someway… you know that.  You and Xena lived through it.”

“We did,” Gabrielle agreed, though she didn’t provide more detail than that.  Barbara remained still for several more minutes before she turned to look directly in Gabrielle’s eyes.

“How did you even…?”

Gabrielle shook her head, dropping it so her hair covered her face and hid her tears.  “Maybe one day I’ll share.”  She sniffed and lifted a hand to her eyes, wiping them as she met Barbara’s eyes again.  “I should go.  I’m sorry if I overstepped….”

“You didn’t,” Barbara inserted as she caught Gabrielle’s in hers once more.  “I know I was angry before but….”  She sighed.  “You’re probably more right than you know.  Hel’s been pulling away from me for a while.  I just… I don’t know what to do.”  She paused as she heard Helena move across the lower floor, and a glance down showed her that she was carrying the thick leather diary she’d had since before Barbara had met her.  Green eyes met - one sorrowful; the other frightened.

“I think you need to decide what she means to you; what you want from her; and what you’re willing to give her in return.  Then you and she need to have a talk and make some decisions.  Pretty sure a little honest conversation between you will be a good thing for you both.”

Barbara tilted her head, trying desperately to keep the tears from falling.  “Xena ever call you a miracle worker?”

Gabrielle smirked, though she couldn’t hide the blush that crawled up her neck.  Barbara had a sympathetic reaction, causing them both to chuckle quietly at their ridiculousness.  Gabrielle shrugged.  “I have many skills,” she finally replied, patting Barbara’s hands.  “I’ll see myself out,” turning and moving to the elevator before sliding between the doors and heading to the garage.  Barbara just watched her go.

“I’ll just bet you do,” she murmured to herself with a smirk, then turned her attention back to Helena and the book she held, calling up the many memories it evoked.

************

She smiled at the memory, thankful she had opened her heart to both of the incredible young women in her life… despite the gray hair of which she insisted they were the cause.  She lifted a hand and lightly tucked a strand of blonde hair behind Dinah’s ear, causing her to stir and blink blue eyes open slowly as she tried to reorient herself.  She turned and shifted, pushing herself up against the back of the couch.  “Barbara?” she frowned.  “Is everything okay?”

Barbara smiled gently.  “That’s what I was going to ask you.  What happened out there?  Are you all right?”

Dinah looked down and re-tucked the hair that fell back across her face.  “I think so… now, anyway.”  She blew out a breath.  

“Can you tell me what happened?”

“I don’t… I was having trouble keeping my focus.”  She frowned.  “I’m not sure.”

“Do you think it has something to do with what happened in New Orleans?”  Helena came and sat down in the chair, silently listening as she ate her Pop-tarts and drank her milk.  Dinah finally looked up meeting Helena’s eyes briefly before turning to Barbara.

“That’s all I can figure.  I wasn’t having this problem before then.  But I can’t figure out what or how!” said with exasperation as she thrust her hands hard into her lap.  She sighed.  “I think….”  She bit her lip.  “I think Darius may have… connected… Helena and me,” turning back to Helena when she felt her snap upright and set her glass on the table.

“Say again, Kid?”

“It has to go back to Darius.  You were sharing with me long before he got involved, and it’s only been since he did… whatever… that I’ve been having an issue.”  She sighed again.  “I could actually… it was like I could feel them hitting you.  Every time one of them got a hit in, my shielding seemed to weaken wherever they landed.”

Helena stood and walked around the chair, rubbing her hand over the back of her neck.  “Why didn’t you say something?  Damn, Kid!  Sometimes I draw the fights out - just to have a little fun… burn a little energy.  I… Jesus, D - you shoulda said!  It’s one thing for me to beat the crap out of you - I’m not gonna help anyone else do it!”

Dinah chuckled through her tears.  She knew they didn’t mean to exclude her, but they were a couple that she wasn’t part of, and that, by its very definition, meant she was excluded from part of what made them a family sometimes. But then there were times like this, and perfectly normal statements like that from Helena, and it reminded her of just how much they loved her and how big a part of the family she really was.

Barbara cut her eyes in Helena’s direction with a raised brow and a smirk.  “Really, Hel?”

“Yeeees,” she drawled.  “Really.”  She waved her hand around vaguely.  “It doesn’t matter right now.  What matters is we figure out how to fix it.”

“That’s probably going to take a more personal touch from Darius.  If he is fae - and we have no real reason to doubt the veracity of his words - then it’s highly likely that his touch, while the two of you were touching, tied you together on a more visceral level than simply physical.  It’s just carried over into the physical realm because of the bond you already shared by Helena’s ability to strengthen you.”

“So, we’re going to New Orleans again?”

Barbara shook her head and smiled secretly at the relief she could feel coming from both younger women.  “No.  All things considered, I don’t think New Orleans is a good place for us to go… especially with it being even closer to Halloween than it was when we were there last.  No.  I think it’s time we made a trip to New York to visit Xena and Gabrielle.  I’m confident they can get Darius to come to them if it becomes necessary.  Besides, I’ve been talking back and forth with Gabrielle and Diana about the Guardians.  We’ve decided it might be… prudent for us to sit down together in the same time zone.”

Dinah frown.  “I thought Diana went home to Paradise Island.”

“She did,” Barbara replied.  “But she’s also been up at the Watchtower a bit too, and that makes things more complicated.”

“Makes sense; it’s not like that space station is around the block or something.  When do we leave?”

Barbara turned at Helena’s question.  “We can go when we decide.  I’ve already asked a couple of JLA members to keep an eye out on things here in Gotham,” though she didn’t feel the need to mention that Batman was one of them.  “I’d say the sooner, the better.  There’s no reason for Dinah to have to suffer any longer than is necessary.”  She looked back at Dinah and pinned her with a glare.  “Next time, say something.  I may be Oracle, but even I can’t see everything… even on my best days.”

“If it’s all the same, I’d rather there not be a next time, but I get your point.”  She slid to the front of the couch and stood up slowly.  “I’m gonna go pack a bag.  Do we know how long…?”

“… we’ll be in New York?  No, but plan for several days at least.  It won’t take long to get there.  I sent Alfred to power up the jet,” ignoring Helena’s growl.  “The flight shouldn’t take much more than an hour.”

“Gotcha,” Dinah said as she squeezed by and headed to her room.

Barbara shifted her gaze to Helena, who had her arms crossed over her chest and was almost pouting.  “You all right?”

She pushed a hand through her short, dark hair, causing it to stand up in several different directions.  “Yeah.  A little pissed I didn’t notice.”

“To be fair, she didn’t really either until tonight.”  Barbara caught Helena’s hand in hers.  “It’s no one’s fault.  And let’s face it - if anyone can figure out how to fix this, Xena can.”

Helena smirked.  “True.  Maybe we’ll get to spar while we’re there.”

“Maybe.  You need to get your bag packed first.  And don’t forget, they’ve got a lot going on, so sparring time might be a little slim.”

“I can work with slim, but do we really need to take the Batplane?”

“Only if you don’t want to get stuck in coach.”

“Batplane it is,” Helena decided without missing a beat.  “I’ll be back in five.”

Barbara didn’t believe a word of it, of course, but she nodded and smiled her agreement as she turned back to the Delphi.  “I thought you’d see it my way.”  She grabbed the jump drive that held all the files she needed and placed her computer in sleep mode.  Then she turned and headed down the hallway after Helena.


Chapter XXII

Will rubbed his hands over his face before scrubbing it through his hair.  He shook his head and released an exasperated sigh.  “I don’t know, Magnus.  There doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of information out there about this thing.  I mean… we can put out a few educated guesses with what we know.”

“Such as…?”

“Well, we know it’s made of sapphire, and from what we can tell, it was carved from a single stone. That alone makes it practically invaluable.  I’m fairly certain the fact that it’s a peacock is fairly important - it likely represents pride. Since it’s in Kate’s possession, it could very well tie into the Hindi religion, though again… educated guesses.  The fact that it bothers abnormals to differing degrees is intriguing; I’m inclined to agree with your assessment in that regard as well - the longer lived one is, the harsher its effect.”

Helen closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose.  “Where does that put us then?”

Will shook his head.  “I wish I knew.  I think until we have some better answers, you’d do well to stay as far away from it as possible.  I’m going to sit down with Kate and see if she remembers any other stories her family might have shared.  Henry is trying to find some kind of tie-in to the religious aspect, and the Big Guy is making tea.”

Magnus smiled.  “All right.  Keep me posted.  I’ve got….”  Just then, the phone rang, and Helen lifted the receiver from the cradle.  “Yes?” looking at Will and nodding her agreement when he motioned toward the door.  She walked around and took a seat behind her desk.  “Very well.  Send them up.”  A beat.  “Yes, thank you.  That would be lovely.”

It didn’t take but a moment before Bigfoot was opening the door to her study and stepping inside.  “Ms. Wells and Ms. Bering to see you.  I’ll be right back with your tea.”

“Thank you,” Helen offered with a smile and a squeeze to his arm.  He nodded and grunted, then shuffled out of the room.  

HG and Myka thanked him as he passed them, then crossed the threshold.  Magnus opened her arms for HG to walk into, gratified to find her embrace returned as fervently as it was offered.  It only lasted a moment before HG pulled back, bussing her cheek with a featherlike kiss before their eyes met again.  She turned and took Myka’s hand, pulling her forward to stand side by side.  Myka returned from her perusal of the room, offering her hand to Helen even as HG pulled her forward.

“Myka, this is the dear friend I was telling you about, Helen Magnus.  Helen, my friend, Myka Bering.  Myka is an agent at Warehouse 13.”

“It’s lovely to meet you,” Myka said a little hesitantly, feeling awkward and oddly out of place.

“You as well, Myka.  It’s somewhat comforting to know the Warehouse is still out there doing good work.”

Myka shrugged.  “Well, we try.”

Before Helen could say anything else to put her at ease, Bigfoot reentered the room carrying a tray laden with tea and all the trimmings.  He didn’t speak, but simply moved to the side table where he carefully placed the tray before turning back to Magnus.  “Anything else?”

“No, thank you, Big Guy,” she responded.  “Go enjoy your own before it gets cold,” smiling when he nodded and left quietly.  She turned to her guests.  “Shall we?” motioning them over to the table.  They did as bidden, and soon Helen was pouring out tea and offering sandwiches and pastries as they engaged in pleasantries while filling their plates.  Only once they were comfortably ensconced on the couch and wing chair did the conversation turn serious and back to the reason behind their visit.

“So, what brings you to my little corner of the world?” Magnus asked, looking between them before finally settling her gaze on HG.

Myka slid her phone from her pocket and passed it to Magnus.  Helen reached forward and accepted it, eyes widening as she took in the photograph on the screen.  “Last week, the Warehouse sent us down to New Orleans, ostensibly to recover Anne Rice’s typewriter.”

“But when we arrived,” HG cut in, “there was no typewriter.  But we did encounter…” motioning toward Myka’s phone, “that.  We were wondering if you had any idea…?”

Helen bit her lip and turned her focus inward for a moment, even as she continued to gaze at the picture.  After a moment, she lifted her eyes to Myka’s.  “May I…?” gesturing towards her computer.

Myka nodded her head rapidly.  “Yes!  Of course!”

Magnus leaned forward and placed her cup on the table, then rose and moved behind her desk.  She hooked the phone to her computer, then slowly seated herself as the picture appeared on her monitor.  She reached for her glasses, staring at the picture in silence.  Finally, she removed her glasses and peered over her monitor to the two women watching her.

“Well,” she commented after clearing her throat.  “It’s not an abnormal… not as we classify them.  But,” she continued, tapping the arm of her glasses against her lips, “I think I’ve heard stories of a creature like this.”

“So, the Headless Horseman is real?”

Helen smiled at the disbelief in Myka’s voice.  “You saw it with your own eyes and you still doubt?  The Headless Horseman does, apparently, exist as more than a legend, but I don’t believe it to be a him, like the Ichabod Crane legend.”  She flicked a hand in the direction of the picture.  “From the pictures you’ve shared, it appears to be a woman.”

“But you don’t think it’s an abnormal?”

Magnus shook her head.  “No.  This is something beyond abnormal.  This is otherworldly.”

Myka and HG turned to one another.  “Why would the Warehouse send us to find something otherworldly?”

HG shook her head.  “I can’t imagine.  I mean, what exactly are we supposed to do with that?  How does one neutralize a headless horseman?”

Magnus circled back around and resumed her seat across from them.  “Maybe you’re not supposed to neutralize it.  Maybe you just needed to be made aware of its existence.”

“To what end?”

“I don’t know.  I don’t have enough information to speculate.”

“But…?”

“But… I don’t know.  Something peculiar is going on here.  It makes me wonder if it might be related - if there’s a bigger picture that we’re not seeing for lack of enough pieces.”

HG cocked her head in question.  “What’s happening here?  Can you share?”

Magnus eyed her for a long moment before standing.  “Possibly,” she shared.  “Come… let’s go to the lab.  I’ll tell you the story on the way.”

************

“You’ve really never heard of Saligia?” Dyson asked Ruby as they made their way to the highest public point of the castle.  He’d asked her to take him to the most centralized location between all the realms, and this was the one she was certain they could access without having to go find Regina.

“No.  You have to understand that for the first twenty-eight years that Storybrooke was here, we were living under a curse.  We had a basic knowledge of this land’s history and culture, but….”  She shook her head and frowned.  “I have heard of Pandora.  I remember reading about her.”

Dyson looked at her and pinched his lip between his fingers.  “That must have been very strange - the whole ‘land without magic twenty-eight year curse’ thing, I mean.”

“It was… disorienting,” she confessed as they reached the pinnacle.  “So, what are we looking for, exactly?” she asked as she slowly spun in place, taking in all the realms of the kingdom.

Dyson shook his head.  “I’m not sure.  Just… anything that seems wrong… or out of place.  I’ll need you to tell me about each of the realms, but first….”  He allowed his face to shift, reforming until it was more wolf than human.  Then he began his perusal, using all of his enhanced senses to detect any sort of anomaly or change in the realms around him.  He wasn’t even aware of when he started to growl softly, but Ruby was, and she called out to him.

“Dyson?” Ruby called as she put a hand on his arm.  He snapped his head around toward her, allowing his features to relax into their normal, human parameters.  “Is everything okay?”

He shook his head to clear it, then met her eyes.  “I don’t know.  There’s something… peculiar… here.”

Ruby tilted her head.  “Peculiar how?”

He frowned, wondering why she couldn’t smell it.  He let his face morph partially again and thrust his snout into the air as he sniffed.  He deliberately sniffed in her direction, cocking his head slightly, then he turned and sniffed around in slow circle once more.  He allowed his face to relax as he turned back to her once more.  “You’re not from here, are you?  I mean, you don’t live in this kingdom anymore; you live in one of the surrounding kingdoms.”

Ruby blinked.  “Although we have a place here, I live in Oz with my wife, Dorothy. Why?”

“Each of the kingdoms in Regina’s realm seems to have a different scent.  Surely you noticed that?” waiting for Ruby to nod.  “All of them, except….”  He turned in another circle, stopping when he was less than halfway around.  He jerked his head in the appropriate direction.  “That one.  It smells almost identical to this one, only harsher… more bitter.  Like it’s dead or decaying.”

Ruby followed suit, allowing her snout to form and breathing deeply of the air around her.  She’d grown so accustomed to differentiating the scent and sounds of each kingdom that it ran at the back of her mind without her consciousness being aware of it at all.  Now that Dyson had brought it to her attention, she was sharply aware of the minuscule variations that existed between the realms.  She let her nose search out the particular kingdom, feeling a sense of relief when it wasn’t Oz.  She closed her eyes.  “That’s the Wish Realm - the kingdom young Henry Mills put into place as the Author a few years ago.  It’s almost a carbon copy of Storybrooke, but nothing there is like it is here.”

“Can we go there?”

Ruby shrugged.  “I don’t see why not.  We cross into all the other realms without any issue.”

Dyson frowned.  Something was bothering him; something he couldn’t quite remember but knew in his heart of hearts was true about this Wish Realm.  Nothing good.  He nodded.  “All right.  I think we need to look there.  I don’t know why - call it a hunch.  I’m not sure if we’ll find Saligia or what, but something’s going on over there.  It’s the only one that reeks of death.”

Before Ruby could respond, Dyson was shifting and reforming into his Were self.  Ruby didn’t hesitate, but did the same, and soon the two were off and running toward the Wish Realm, hoping beyond hope they weren’t going to be too late.

************

Emma plopped into a chair as the thick tome she held in her hands hit the table with a solid thud.  She let herself fall forward until she was face down into the crease of the book.  “Oh my God,” she muttered, her words muffled by the pages she was pressed against.  “Is there a reason this is all written to make my brain melt?”

Regina smirked, though she was no less exhausted than Emma.  “Of course, Dear.  It always amuses me to see you struggle like an amateur.”  Emma wanted to take offense and get mad, but she could see the twinkle in Regina’s eyes as she sat up to offer a rebuttal.  She snorted and rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t stop the cackle that escaped her lips.  Regina laughed.  “You have to remember who and what I was when I put all this together and built this place.  I couldn’t have just any Snow, Rumple, or Blue come traipsing in like they owned the place and get access to my spells and magic,” she smirked before sighing.  “Besides, a number of these books I stole from either Rumple or my mother, and they did the same as I did to make it difficult, if not impossible, for another magic user to steal their work.”

“Okay, so if that’s true, why steal them?  They’re practically useless.”

“Practically being the operative word.  It is possible to get around the protections they put in place to keep the spells proprietary, as it were.  It just takes time and patience - something we’re running a little bit short on, at the moment.”

“Yeah, it would be nice if we could put all of this into a database.  It would save us a lot of time.”

“It would; first we would need to find the time to enter all of this… stuff… and then we’d need someone to write a program that would allow us to cross-reference and compare and….”

“Yeah, yeah… I get it.  It would be a lot of work.  But it also might be something we should talk about seriously when things slow down again.  We both know there’s never going to be a time when something’s not going on, but it’s not usually like this - like it was when we first met.  I’m just saying I think we should consider the possibility.”

Regina nodded sharply. “I’ll consider it; for now, I’m not finding any mention of this Saligia individual… or of a Warrior and Bard for that matter.  I can’t imagine….”  Her words trailed off as she looked around the vault.  “We’ve been looking in the wrong place,” pulling several heavy books from some obscure shelves in the back and shoving them into Emma’s arms.  “We need to go back further - back to the beginning of magic; when magic existed everywhere… including this world. Maybe not here in Maine specifically, but….”  She trailed off again as she spied the item she was looking for on a top, back shelf.  “Here,” she said as she climbed the rolling ladder, not at all surprised to feel Emma’s hands on her hips as she leaned over to reach it.  She blew out a breath when she was once more upright.  “Thank you, Miss Swan,” she said sincerely.

“Anytime, Your Majesty,” Emma assured with a smile as she backed up slightly to allow Regina to hand her the surprisingly small... scroll?  She turned it over in her hands several times, unable to find anything of significance on the outside of the parchment.  “Huh,” she finally concluded as Regina’s feet hit the floor.  She handed it back over without hesitation and waited for Regina to explain.

They walked back over to the table, and with a flick of her wrist, Regina had cleared the space and put everything, save the scroll and the heavy tomes she had handed Emma earlier, back where it belonged.  By contrast, she removed the clips that kept the scroll sealed almost reverently, then gently unrolled the parchment and laid it carefully on the flat surface.  They studied it for several minutes, before Emma finally looked up with a bemused expression to find Regina regarding her fondly.  

“What?”

“Can you read it?”

Emma snorted indelicately.  “You’re kidding, right?  I can’t even tell what language it’s supposed to be; pretty sure reading it is out of the question.”

Regina laughed, and even though she was certain she was being laughed at, Emma couldn’t help the smile that followed the rare sound.  The sound only lasted a moment before it stopped and brown eyes twinkled at her.  “Oh, Miss Swan... don’t ever change.”. Emma’s jaw dropped, as she knew more than once Regina had wished for that very thing, but before she could question the words, Regina sobered and turned back to the parchment.

“When I was a girl, my father would tell me stories - fantastic tales of people and adventures that were set in places I could only imagine.  It wasn’t until we came to this land that I realized the stories he’d shared with me were from this place.”

“How did he…?”

Regina shook her head, and a tear came to her eye though she blinked rapidly enough to keep it from spilling over.  “I don’t know.  And of course, there was no one to ask by the time I realized where they came from… not that Mother would ever have shared even if she had known.”  She shook her head.  “At any rate, it caused me to go looking for similar stories - which, let me tell you was a lot more difficult without today’s technology - but I did manage to find a few things… among them, this scroll.”

“And can you read it?”

“I can, assuming….”  She looked around and grabbed the largest book she had handed Emma previously from the spot it had been placed when Emma had moved to assure her safety.  “Here,” she said, passing it over.  “This is a translator book.  Its sole purpose is to allow you to determine the origin language and then see it in your own.  Handy little tool when you’re trying to break someone else’s spell.”

“Let me guess… Rumple?”

She smirked. “Regina.  I had a lot of free time when we first arrived, and I had several spell books I had… procured… before I cast the curse.  I needed a way to read them once I was able to open them, so…”

“… so you created a book to translate them for you.”  Emma smiled as she crossed her arms over her chest.  “I’m impressed, Your Majesty.  That’s pretty slick.  And no one knows about this?”

“No… why would they?  I certainly wasn’t going to share it around, and remember my vault is protected by a blood spell.”  She waggled her eyebrows.  “Besides, it’s hidden in plain sight.  Do you know how much gets overlooked because of that?”

Emma chuckled.  “Yeah… a lot.”  She motioned towards the book.  “Can I see how this works?”

“Of course,” Regina assured her as she turned back to the parchment.  “Would you like to be part of it?”

“Sure… yeah.”

Regina smiled at her enthusiasm.  “All right… put one hand here,” placing it on a clean space on the parchment, “and hold the book in the other hand.  It will find what you need and allow you to read what the scroll says.”

“And do you already know?”

“I remember enough to be fairly confident that this is the correct scroll.  Other than that…”. She shrugged.  “It’s been a long time since I’ve read it, so I’m a little light on the details.”

Emma nodded and picked up the book, letting the spine rest in the palm of her hand, then placing her other hand on top on the scroll.  It only took a moment for the book to fall over and start flipping pages until it was satisfied it had found the correct language.  Then immediately, the words on the scroll began to shift into something Emma could read and she looked at it for a few stunned moments before turning back to Regina.

“Holy shit,” she mumbled.  “I can… I can read this.”

“Indeed, Miss Swan.  Let me grab my laptop, and you can read it to me while I write it up.  Hopefully, this will help us find some of the answers we need.”


Chapter XXIII

“So we now know the Warrior is a woman named Xena and the Bard is a woman named Gabrielle. If they are immortal as Mr. Thornwood claims, it should be fairly easy to find them.  Gabrielle isn’t a particularly common name, and I’ve never even heard the name Xena before.”  Regina narrowed her eyes thoughtfully.  “Aphrodite, though… Aphrodite,” she pondered.  “Her I’ve heard of.  Maybe something Rumple said…?”

“She’s the Goddess of Love… you know, like in Greek mythology? Aphrodite?”

Regina cupped her chin between her fingers as she shook her head.  “No, that’s not what I….”  She narrowed her eyes again and snorted as she shifted confused eyes to Emma as her words registered.  “Goddess??  Really??  I didn’t think people here believed in that kind of thing.  Did she have magic?”

“Of a sort,” came a voice from out of the ether, causing both women to spin around searching for its source.  After a moment, Aphrodite materialized.  She looked around cautiously.  “Wow,” she said with a distinct lack of enthusiasm.  “This is some place you’ve got here.  Not very… um… okay, whoa,” she added as she took a step back and raised her hands in surrender when she noticed the fireball Regina held at the ready.  “You wanna put that gnarly thing away before someone totally gets hurt?”

“Who are you?” Regina demanded as the flames burned brighter.  “How did you get in here??”

“You called.  I came.”  She tilted her head and sighed at their lack of recognition.  “I’m Aphrodite,” she explained slowly, raising her eyebrows to emphasize the fact that they should know her.  “Goddess of Love?”

“That still doesn’t explain how you got in here through a blood curse.”

Aphrodite snorted.  “Heh - that was easy.”  She wrinkled her nose.  “A little gross, though.  Seriously… it could use a little polishing.”

Emma put her hand over Regina’s, effectively extinguishing the fireball she held and causing her to whip her head in Emma’s direction.  Before she could unleash the fury that could easily be seen sparking in her eyes, Emma placed a gentle finger on her lips.  “Why don’t we let her talk?  She might be able to answer some questions we have about that scroll.”

“Scroll?” Aphrodite asked with more than a hint of curiosity.  “May I see it?”

Emma looked her question at Regina, who sighed beneath the finger and nodded her head slowly.  Emma sighed in relief and smiled.  Aphrodite clapped her hands together and squealed.  Emma chuckled; Regina just rolled her eyes.  Emma picked the scroll up from where it was sitting on the table next to the book and gingerly passed it to Aphrodite.  Aphrodite held up a finger and took a moment to slip on her glasses, then she accepted the parchment and looked it over carefully.  She read it slowly, nodding her head as she recognized the story.  “I remember this,” she said with a nod of her head.  “I didn’t know how Xena and Gabs would feel about me keeping a record, but I figured better safe than sorry, ya know?  I mean… I know I’m not the bard Gabrielle is, but I felt it was best for everybody if we, you know, had all the details down in case we needed them later.”

“And did you?”

Aphrodite frowned.  “Did I what?”

Regina rolled her eyes again.  “Did. You. Need. Them. Later?” enunciating each word.  Aphrodite turned and regarded Regina solemnly, removing her glasses and biting on one earpiece.  Regina held her gaze for a minute before she huffed.  “It’s a fair question!”

“It is.  But I’m not quite sure what’s got your panties in such a twist.  You called - I came.  That in and of itself should totally rate a little radical hospitality.”

Emma stepped forward.  “You’ll have to excuse us.  I’ve only heard of you as a myth, and Regina’s never heard of you at all.  And if that weren’t unnerving enough, you waltzed into a place that has the strongest protection spell we have like it wasn’t even there.  You can see where that would be a little disconcerting, yeah?”

Aphrodite agreed almost sullenly.  “I s’pose,” she grumbled.  “I can go….”

“No!” Regina shouted, then blushed.  “No,” she repeated in a much quieter tone.  “As you said, we called you - accidentally or not - and I do think you could probably help us find some answers.  I’m… I’m sorry,” she added contritely.  “Allow me to offer you some refreshment. Tea, perhaps?  Or apple cider?”

“Whatever you’re having will be fine,” Aphrodite agreed, mollified, and slid her glasses back on her face.

Regina nodded.  “Let me get you some of my apple cider then.  Nobody makes it better than I do, if I do say so myself.”

“She’s telling the truth.  She does have a knack,” Emma agreed, sharing a smile with Regina that was full of shared memories.

Aphrodite studied them silently, recognizing a familiarity between them; she knew they weren’t a couple, and yet.…  She stared so long, that when Emma waved a hand in front of her face, she started.  “Oh… sorry,” she said as she accepted the glass.  “I was just thinking,” putting the glass to her lips and taking a small sip.  Her eyes widened and she turned to Regina.  “This is exceptional.  I could get jealous.”

Regina smirked.  “Remind me and I’ll give you a bottle to take with you.”

Emma’s eyes widened.  “Wow.  Not even I get a bottle,” she grumbled with a smile in Regina’s direction.

Regina snorted.  “You, my dear, are simply the Savior.  She, on the other hand, is the Goddess of Love.  Pretty sure that ranks her higher than you.”

“Huh,” Emma scoffed.  “Save a woman’s life once or twice - you’d think she’d be a little more grateful.  But noooooo,” she muttered, knowing she was getting grins from both of the women listening to her.  She whirled in Regina’s direction, trying desperately to keep a straight face.  “You didn’t even know who she was… is… whatever!”  She couldn’t hold her laughter in any longer, and Regina laughed as well.

“Sit down, you idiot!” she chided fondly.  “Honestly,” looking at Aphrodite and rolling her eyes as she smiled.  “Some people’s kids!” causing Aphrodite to shake her head and chuckle.

“You two must be a lot of gnarly fun at parties.”

Regina snorted and Emma laughed.  “I think the only reason we get invited is because we belong to the same family….”

“… in a weird, twisted, roundabout way,” Regina countered.

Aphrodite looked between them.  “Should I even ask?”

“Probably not.”
“You mean you don’t know?”

“Oooookay,” she drawled slowly, then turned to Emma.  “No.  It’s not like I was even aware of this….”  She looked around again.  “Where am I anyway?”

“Technically, you’re in my vault… in Storybrooke, Maine.”

Aphrodite blinked, not recognizing anything familiar in that sentence at all.  After a moment, she nodded.  “All right.  So why did you call me?  What can I do for you two bitchin’ babes?”

“Honestly, we’re not sure.  I mean… we didn’t mean to call you.  We were translating this scroll, and your name came up as the author, I guess.  Regina had never heard of you - she’s not originally from this world.”

“Yeah… the fireball kinda gave that away.  I’m guessing you’re not a goddess, because I would have heard of you long before now.  So who are you?”

“I promise to tell you the full story sometime soon.  Suffice it to say for now, that I’m the Good Queen of All the Realms,” smiling when Aphrodite’s brows shot into her hairline, “and a pretty decent sorceress.”

Aphrodite nodded slowly.  “All righty.  What do you need from me?”

“Have you ever heard of someone called Saligia?”

The name had an immediate effect on Aphrodite, who stiffened and turned fiery blue eyes in their direction.  “Why are you looking for him?” she demanded.  “Do you have any freaking idea…?”  She stopped speaking and closed her eyes, taking several deep breaths before reopening her eyes.  “I think you need to start from the beginning.  I want to know everything - where you heard of him; why you’re searching for him; how you brought me into this… and don’t leave anything out.”

Her tone was fierce, and Emma and Regina exchanged glances before nodding at one another and turning back to her.  Emma rose and picked up the decanter, refilling each of their glasses before placing it back on the bar.  She stood still for a moment, marshaling her thoughts; then she turned back to Aphrodite and started to speak.  “Sit back and relax - this is going to take a little while.”

************

Aphrodite rubbed her forehead hard, as though trying to wipe away the wrinkle lines she could feel developing.  Then she slid her fingers under her glasses to massage the bridge of her nose.  She squeezed hard, hoping to dispel the rare headache she could feel developing behind her eyes.  Finally, she sighed.  “Well, the radical good news is, I know where Xena and Gabrielle are.  We can go see them right now if you want.  The bad news is I’m not totally sure how they’re gonna, you know, respond to this.”

“You mean since we were the apparent cause of all this?”

“Yep.  See, Saligia caused a crap ton of not-so-gnarly to happen to them.  It almost destroyed them, and it made them reeeeaalll protective of each other.”

“And we messed that up?”

“I don’t think so.  But it does dredge up like, a lot of radical uncoolness for them.  However, you’re doing everything you can to contain him here, and that will count for something.  That with the fact that you’ve got magic….”  She trailed off when she saw the look that passed between them.  “What?”

“If we can’t find and contain him here, I’m not sure how much help we’ll be,” Regina confessed.  “Our magic only works here… within my kingdom.”

Aphrodite’s brows furrowed.  “That makes like, no sense.  Magic is magic, no matter where you are.  What are you fueled by?”

It was Regina’s turn to look confused.  “I don’t understand.  I mean… for the longest time, my magic was fueled by my darkness… my anger.  But Emma and I have both found a median of dark and light magic together, because we’re made up of both.”

“Then it should go with you wherever you go.”

“She’s right, Regina,” holding up a hand when Regina started to protest.  “There was no magic under the original curse, but that changed when it was broken.  Remember, Zelena had magic when she convinced Robin that she was Marian while they lived in New York,” noting with satisfaction that Regina didn’t even react to the mention of Robin or Marian.  “There is every possibility that we could take our magic with us.”

“And we might be able to create a charm that would concentrate and focus the magic… give you better control.”

“Could you… could you create something that would allow us to channel our magic together?” Emma asked with a frown, though her eyes were focused on the ground.  She looked at Regina before turning  her intense gaze to Aphrodite.  “Any time we’ve actually had to defeat anything, we’ve always needed to put our magic together to succeed.  I’m thinking that might be the case here as well.”

Aphrodite pinched her lips together as she studied the two women in front of her.  Finally, she nodded her head.  “I think we can come up with something.  In fact….”

“In fact, what?” Regina snapped when the silence dragged out for too long.  She released a slow breath when Emma gently clasped her shoulder, covering her hand and shaking her head.  Before she could speak, Aphrodite jumped from her seat.

“Sorry,” she apologized, stunning Emma and Regina into silence.  “I don’t often have company when I’m working, ya know?  So I kinda forget I have to, like, totally finish saying stuff when I start it… ‘cause it’s not like you can read my mind or anything.  Anyway,” she said, waving her hands before crossing to stand in front of Emma and Regina.  “I think we need to go to New York.”

They exchanged bewildered glances, then turned back to Aphrodite.  “Why New York?”

“Duh,” she giggled.  “That’s where Xena and Gabrielle are.”

“M’kay,” Emma drawled.  “And why do we need to go there?  They’re gonna be pissed with us, remember?  And if that Saligia guy is here, shouldn’t we… I don’t know… be here to stop him?”

Aphrodite bit her lips, blinking at them slowly while she remained lost in thought.  “Maybe,” she conceded.  “But I think this is important too.  It won’t take too long - Xena and Gabrielle won’t try to keep you in the City - not knowing you have responsibilities elsewhere.”

They looked at one another again - Regina arched a brow and Emma gave the slightest shrug of her shoulders.  Aphrodite watched in fascination.  Something was going on here, and she intended to figure out what it was… as soon as Saligia was taken care of.  The two nodded in sync, then turned back to Aphrodite.

“All right - we’ll go, but….  Is there a way we can monitor things here?  You know, in case something goes sideways?”

“Sideways?  Really, Miss Swan?” eyes sparkling at the teasing.

Before Emma could retort, Aphrodite did. “Down with it, babe.  Totally tubular,” causing Emma to erupt in laughter.  “As for the monitoring, yeah.  Let me get somebody on that ASAP,” tilting her head.  In another moment, Athena stepped from the shadows, causing Regina and Emma to whirl around, and Aphrodite to squeal and run into her arms.  Athena caught her as a matter of course, then turned, embarrassed when she realized they weren’t alone.

“Dite?  You know we’re not alone, right?  And we did just see one another a little while ago.”

Aphrodite pouted.  “I know, but I missed you.  We barely have time for hello anymore because of all this Saligia crap.”

Athena kissed the corner of her mouth, causing the pout to melt into a blinding smile, then she kissed her forehead.  “I know,” she commiserated.  “But work has to come first right now.  We can’t afford for this to go wrong again.  No one will survive Xena’s wrath if it does.”

“Um… excuse me,” Emma cleared her throat.  “Can I ask who you are?”

Athena stepped in front of Aphrodite and extended her arm.  “Athena, Goddess of War and Wisdom.”

“Okay, wow - that seems like something of a misnomer.”

Athena released her hand and sighed, nodding her head in agreement.  “Some days more than others,” she concurred, then turned back to Aphrodite.  “So why did you summon me?  I know, despite everything, you did not call me here because you missed me.  You wouldn’t - not with everything that’s going on right now.”

Aphrodite nodded.  “You’re right, of course.  I need someone I can trust to stay here and keep an eye on things for Regina and Emma while I take them to meet Big X and the Gabster.  This is important, The.  We think they’re the ones who awakened Saligia.”

Athena turned, her eyes burning fire and her hands raised to strike them with her own version of a fireball.  She hesitated when she saw Regina bring up the same, waiting to see what she would do.  She extinguished the flame, but turned furious eyes in their direction.  “Why would you do such a vile thing?  Do you have any idea…?” petering out when Aphrodite covered her hand.

“They didn’t know.  They didn’t know until a were fae came here on a hunt looking for him.”

Athena took a deep breath, then twined Aphrodite’s hand with her own.  “All right, Dite.  I’ll stay.”  She turned and met Regina’s eyes.  “But when you come back, I want to hear all about,” she motioned around the vault, “this.”

Regina nodded.  “Deal.”

Aphrodite clapped her hands together, then threw her arms around Athena’s neck.  “Thank you, The!  I love you!” relishing the strong hug her words garnered her.  She turned to Regina and Emma as soon as the embrace ended, extending a hand to each of them.  “C’mon then, babes!  We’ve got places to be!”  And with that, they disappeared in a shower or sparkles and rose petals.

Athena watched until they disappeared, then shook her head.  “I hope you know what you’re doing, Dite,” she muttered, then turned her attention to finding a surface she could utilize as a temporary scrying bowl.

************

Emma blinked slowly when they rematerialized in the City.  After the year she’d spent living there, she was more than a little familiar with a lot of it… including the spot where they were standing.  She looked around again, then turned a sardonic eye on Aphrodite.  “Really?  You picked a park close to 1PP as a place to just… appear out of thin air?”

Aphrodite sniffed and brushed herself off, glad she’d changed into more suitable attire… especially the jacket.  It was a little chillier here than she was accustomed to.  “At least it’s dark.  This was the closest open space to where Xena and Gab are.  I can’t just go popping into their building with you two, ya know?  Now c’mon… we still have to walk a couple blocks to get there.”  She started walking away when a hand on her elbow stopped her.  She looked at Emma with more than a hint of anger and frustration, which bled away the instant she recognized the worry and concern in her green gaze.  “Emma?”

“I think Regina may need a minute,” gesturing to the woman wrapped around her other side.  She was breathing slowly and shallowly, and Aphrodite swiftly moved to her other side, conjuring up a water bottle with no effort.

“You all right?” she asked as Regina sucked down the liquid easily.  She blew out a breath and nodded slowly.

“I think so.  I’ve never… your method of travel is a little different from mine.”  She twisted her neck.  “I think it threw my body for an unexpected loop.”  She sipped at the remainder of her water, then took another deep breath.  “I’m all right.  Let’s just take it a little slowly to start, please?”

“Yeah… yeah, we can do that.  Would you prefer I called a cab?” Emma offered.  Regina covered her hand.

“I’ll be all right, Miss Swan.  It was just a little disorienting.”  She looked at Aphrodite.  “Lead the way.  The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can go home.  And I have a feeling we’re going to need to be there sooner rather than later.”  And with that, Aphrodite headed out of the park and down the road to Xena and Gabrielle’s place.


Chapter XXIV

“You’re sure you’re okay with this, Kara?” Barbara asked the woman standing on her balcony with her cape rustling behind her as Helena and Dinah loaded up the Hummer for their short drive to Wayne Manor and the Batplane.  “I’ve spoken to Alfred about it, but I’m not entirely sure he’s even able to reach….”  As Barbara trailed off, Kara extended a hand towards Barbara, who accepted it with alacrity and more than a hint of confusion.  Kara squeezed lightly and smiled.

“I’m sure,” she promised with a smile.  “Between me and Nightwing, we’ve got things covered.  And J’onn has already promised he and several of the others - including Batman - will step in as needed.”

Barbara frowned.  “Do you think they will be?  What have you heard?” with more than a hint of intensity.

“Take a deep breath,” Kara instructed, waiting until she saw Barbara follow her directive.  “I haven’t heard anything.  But I also wouldn’t be surprised to be called in by Xena and Gabrielle; because whatever this Saligia thing is?  It’s big, and it will take priority for both me and Diana.  Besides, it’ll give Bruce a chance and a legitimate reason for getting back into the business without feeling like he’s being judged, you know?”

“Does he know…?”

“He’s been made aware of the situation and the severity of the circumstances surrounding it.  He may not have figured out how to talk to his daughter, but I guarantee he’ll be there when the time comes.”

Helena snorted from the doorway.  “How can you possibly know that, Supergirl?  He couldn’t get away fast enough the last time we needed him.”

“Helena….”

“No, Barbara.  He ran away like the coward he is the minute things didn’t go the way he thought they should… the way he expected them to.  I want to know how she can so easily guarantee the coward won’t run again the minute things get tough,” crossing her arms over her chest and turning flaming golden eyes in Kara’s direction.

Kara squeezed the hand she still held.  “It’s all right, Barbara.  It’s a fair question.”  She turned her focus solely to Helena, holding her gaze for a long moment before chuckling softly.  “You probably don’t want to hear this, but you and he are very much alike.  He wasn’t as unaffected by the events that changed your lives as he pretends to be.  He lives with many regrets from the choices he made that day.  That’s why I know he’ll be where he’s needed and will do what needs to be done when the time comes.”

Helena’s nostril’s flared and she straightened up stiffly.  “I know you’re new around here - that’s why I’m gonna ignore you comparing me to that… man,” she spit, uncrossing her arms and poking out a finger at Kara’s chest, though she was careful not to actually touch her.  “But a word to the wise?” eyes totally golden and unflinching in their stare. “NEVER say that again,” she commanded before she stomped off, her boots making an impressive sound until she re-entered the Clocktower.  Kara stood there wide-eyed, turning her flummoxed expression toward Barbara

Barbara smiled.  “She’s a little touchy about Bruce, but you’re right - they are very much alike.”  She patted the hand she held before she released it.  “Don’t worry - I’ll have a talk with her.”

“I didn’t mean….”

“I know, and so does she.  It doesn’t make it any easier for her to hear… especially when deep down, she knows it’s truer than she’d like.”  She put her hands on the wheels of her chair and spun to face the glass doors.  “Thank you for coming out and keeping an eye on things for us.  I’m hoping we won’t be gone but two or three days, but….”

Kara tucked a lock of hair behind her ear despite the cape and costume she wore - a nervous habit that belonged to Kara Danvers and not Supergirl - and looked at Barbara with a soft expression that was also not unlike her human identity.  “I expect I’ll be in New York before you’re back in Gotham.”  Barbara frowned but refused to ask a question Kara had already answered.  Instead, Kara offered one of her own.  “When I said the Saligia thing is big? Yeah… I’ve been doing some research.  I think he’ll try to do… whatever it is he needs to do… on Halloween.  It’s his best shot.”

Before Barbara could reach for the door, Kara had it open and was standing beside it with flourish.  Barbara grinned and rolled through, not surprised to find the room empty.  She looked back at Kara.  “I’d love to argue with you, but I think you’re probably right.  If you want to tell J’onn and the rest what is going on, it might be better if they ran patrols here.  That way, you’ll be able to get away if and when you need to.”

Kara nodded slowly.  “I can do that.  I’ll still swing through when I’m able and be available here as much as possible.”  She moved back to the balcony doors. opening one and slipping through before sticking her head back in.  “Will you apologize to Helena for me - tell her I’m sorry?  I really didn’t mean anything by it.”

“I know… and so does she.  But I’ll pass your message along.”

“Thank you, Oracle.  You guys have a safe trip and give Xena and Gabrielle my regards.”  Then without another word, she closed the balcony door and lifted off into the night sky.  Barbara sat for a full minute after she disappeared, then turned to the elevator and pressed the button.  She had somewhere else to be.

************

“Knock, knock,” came the deep male voice standing in the doorway.  Gabrielle looked up a bit startled, then her lips turned up in a grin, and she rose from her desk and ran around it to jump into arms already braced and waiting for her to do just that.  He picked her up off the ground and squeezed just until he heard her bones pop back into place, then he set her down gently, relishing the contact as he allowed her to study him.  Even when they saw each other every day they had done this, so when it had been a few days or even weeks, he wouldn’t deny her the opportunity.  He realized how much more precious it was - now that he was a grown man - to have someone care so much, and it gave him a chance to do the same in return.  What he saw made him frown slightly, and he reached up a hand to cup her face.  “Mi̱téra?  Is everything all right?” noting a hint of black circles and a weariness that hung about her person.  Gabrielle clasped his hand and tugged him in the direction of the couch that faced the waterfall wall.  He seated her and knelt at her feet.  “Mi̱téra?” taking both of her hands in one of his and covering them with his other.

She tugged one hand free and cupped his face, smiling at the stubble she could feel beneath her touch.  From the time she and Xena had found him at the age of fifteen and brought him and his younger sister into their home, she’d always teased him about the stubble.  It wasn’t that he didn’t shave every day - he did, faithfully - he just had a strong enough heritage to give true meaning to five o’clock shadow… at ten in the morning.  She tilted her head at him, and he clasped her hand, removing it from his face without releasing his grip.

“How are things, my son?” her smile tremulous but genuine.

He frowned at her.  “You’re avoiding the question.  I know something’s up.  Casey shared with me what you told her.”

“It’s a mother’s prerogative.  Humor me,” giving him another smile.

He returned her expression with a hard stare before offering her a broad grin.  “Really good.  I was informed today that the university will be offering me tenure, and my high school students are actually engaging in their writing studies.  Having you as a guest speaker does more for their interest than anything out of their dry, old textbooks. That’s a direct quote, mind you.”

Gabrielle snorted.  “That’s only because they don’t know my true age.”  He chuckled.

“Maybe, but it doesn’t change the fact that you are the most popular part of my class every year.”

Gabrielle hummed, secretly delighted, but she didn’t give voice to the feeling.  Instead, she steered the conversation in a different direction.  “Tell me about the tenure.  I didn’t think they would do that for a part-time professor.”

Ian shrugged.  “I didn’t ask - it’s only hearsay at the moment.”

“But from a fairly reliable source?”

“I think so; I’m not holding my breath, but it’s kinda nice knowing I’m even being considered… especially since I really am part-time there.”

“Even though you’ve been there for almost a decade and a half.”

“Yeah… something like that.  Now will you tell me what is going on with you or should I go ask Dáskalos?  You know she’ll tell me.”

Gabrielle tilted her head at him, and he held her gaze respectfully.  “How much do you know?”

“Enough to know to come check on you.  Casey told me some, but I don’t know if she shared everything.”  He shrugged again.  “I don’t know if she actually knows everything, but knowing you and Dáskalos?  No one knows everything except the two of you.”

 She shook her head. “Even we don’t know everything this time.  How much time do you have?”

“All day.  I came by specifically to talk to you about whatever it is that’s going on.”

“All right.  Let me call Xena in, and we’ll tell you together.  Have you had lunch?”

He shook his dark head.  “No.  Casey was supposed to be here so we could go pick up a bite at that little Greek place and bring it back to have this discussion, but she wasn’t at her desk when I came up.”  He frowned.  “Is she all right?  She knew I was coming.”

Gabrielle sighed.  “One of her friends from her old life showed up here unexpectedly this morning; it shook her up a little bit, so we sent her out for some air.”

Ian frowned.  “Is she all right?”

“I think so.  It was just unexpected and caught her by surprise.  She told us the other day she felt she like she was about ready to introduce you to her friends here.  I don’t think she was quite as ready to have it thrown in her face like that though.”

“Was it Olivia or Alex?” chuckling at Gabrielle’s flabbergasted expression.  “She might not have been quite ready to interact with them, but I’ve heard about all of them… including Abbie.  When we started dating, we promised each other no secrets.”  He shrugged.  “It’s what you and Dáskalos taught me and Lee; it’s working for me and Casey.”

“I’m glad.  I like her - she’s good people.”

“Yeah… I think so too.  And she won over Colleen, and you know how protective my little sister is.”

Gabrielle snorted, then covered her mouth to keep from shrieking in laughter.  Without warning, Xena came in through the connecting door, smiling when she saw the humor in Gabrielle’s eyes and the grin on Ian’s face for having been the cause of it.  She opened her arms and he stood and took her in his embrace.  He squeezed as tightly as he could, knowing she could take it; knowing she appreciated it when he hugged her with all he had.  He lifted her slightly off the floor - just enough to allow her spine to pop and her back to realign itself before he gently reset her on her feet - then he dipped his head, waiting for her discipline because she had never liked being manhandled… especially without her explicit permission.  Instead, she leaded forward and brushed her lips over his forehead, and he glanced at her from beneath his lashes, the bewilderment in his eyes not hiding the tiniest hint of a smile on his face.

“You’re lucky,” she whispered.  “I haven’t seen my chiropractor in a few weeks.  I needed that.”

Gabrielle snorted again, this time letting her laughter ring clear. “Don’t let her fool ya; she’s been waiting for a good hug from you.”

“Watch it, Bard,” Xena growled, though her tone was belied by the twinkle in her eyes.  She turned back to Ian.  “So what brings you downtown?”

“You do,” he answered directly.  “Casey told me a little about what’s going on.  I came to find out the truth - straight from the horse’s mouth, as it were.  After getting a good look at Mi̱téra, I think it’s probably a good thing I did.”  He looked between them.  “I’m going to hope that not letting Lee and I know what’s going on is just an oversight because you’ve been so busy,” watching as they exchanged glances.  Finally, Xena and Gabrielle returned to the couch and waited for him to join them.  He took a seat across from them and clasped his hands together between his knees, noting their relatively relaxed posture.  He glanced at the ground and smiled, remembering the number of times in his youth when they’d sat just like this as he tried to figure out life.  He sighed and brought his eyes back to meet theirs.  “What’s going on… really.”

Gabrielle leaned into Xena’s body, relishing the warmth she felt radiating from the warrior that was wrapped around her.  She took the free hand resting on Xena’s knee and twined their fingers, looking into blue eyes for reassurance before turning back to Ian.  She cleared her throat.

“First of all, you need to know that we didn’t share with you and Colleen because we didn’t really have a reason to,” holding up her hand when his lips parted to interrupt her.  “This is something that started millennia ago - back when we were just a warrior and a bard traveling through ancient Greece.  It’s something we thought we had taken care of then.  The only reason that Casey and the rest are involved at all is because it’s become something beyond us.”

“I don’t understand.”

Gabrielle sighed.  She’d been hoping….  “When we first dealt with Saligia, it was just us.  And it did something to us - nearly tore us apart; not just from each other but also from within.  You have to understand that Saligia is the embodiment of evil… of every single thing that’s wrong in the world.”  She tilted her head.  “Do you remember the seven deadly sins?”

“Of course.  It was part of the catechism mom and dad insisted we learn when we were little.  And you and Dáskalos reinforced the need to conquer those things in life.”  He scowled.  “Why?”

“He used those ‘sins’… those impulses… to wreak havoc and destroy.  And its effects were detrimental - still are as evidenced by the state of the world today.  We were dealing with concentrated exposure to those things….”  She shook her head.  “It wasn’t pretty.  So we set up a system of Guardians; each Guardian was responsible for a particular talisman that was kept in a locked box.”

“Okay so…?”

“The idea was to give each culture a responsibility for one talisman.  With it being in a locked box, it couldn’t cause any more destruction, and with them being separated and spread around the globe, Saligia’s search for world conquest and domination would never be complete.  And once he was banished and sent into what should have been an eternal sleep, it was pretty much a done deal.”

“Right,” he agreed, though he still had plenty of questions.  He decided to focus on the most important.  “So, why are you looking for him?  And what about the Guardians?”

“We’re looking for him because there are indications he is no longer asleep.  If that is in fact the case, we will need the Guardians and their talismans as a means to rid the world of him again.”

“Can’t you just kill him?”

Xena chuckled darkly and shook her head.  “If only it was that easy.”  She turned to Gabrielle.  “Remind me to ask Dite about it.  Maybe they’ve come up with something on their end of this thing.”  Gabrielle nodded and Xena turned back to Ian.  “A lot of things have to line up just for us to be able to contain him.  We can do it - we did it before.  It’s just taking a lot of time we really don’t have.”

“Is there anything we can do to help?”

“Right now?”  Gabrielle shook her head.  “I don’t think so.  We’ve got the girls and Kurt on this end looking for Saligia.  And Barbara and Diana, which of course means Paula too, are tracing the Guardians.”  She looked at her watch.  “In fact, they should be here fairly soon.  You can sit in on the conference if you’d like, but….”  She tilted her head.  “I think Casey may be back.  You might want to….”  Ian was on his feet before Gabrielle could finish.  He was at the door before it occurred to him to excuse himself, and he glanced back at the two women watching him with fond expressions.

“I’m sorry,” he apologized, though he didn’t release his grip on the door.  “If you’ll excuse me, I just need to….”  He motioned to the outer office.  They took pity on his fidgety self and gestured him out.  He nodded and steeled himself, taking a deep breath and plastering on a smile before he disappeared out the door.

Xena and Gabrielle exchanged glances before they began chuckling out loud.  “He’s got it bad,” Xena commented.  She smiled at Gabrielle lovingly.  “I remember feeling that way the first time.”  She ducked her head, and looked up through dark lashes.  “I still do.”

Gabrielle smiled and wrapped her hands around a strong bicep.  “So do I, Warrior Princess.”  They held one another’s gaze for a minute, then Gabrielle sighed.  “What are we gonna do, Xe?”

Xena shook her head.  “About Ian and Casey?  Nothing for now.  They’re grown adults, and they seem to be on the right path to figure things out for themselves.  About the Guardians?” A shrug.  “I think we’re gonna have to wait and see what Diana and Barbara have in the way of leads - though if them wanting a face-to-face meeting is any indication, they’ve gotta be making some significant headway.  I’m guessing they might want to talk to the Machine… see if She can help refine the search.”

“And Saligia?”

“I think he’s gonna be more trouble than he’s worth before all is said and done with this thing.”

Gabrielle closed her eyes and sighed as she leaned over to rest her head on Xena’s shoulder.  “He always was.”  She let out another deep sigh.  “I want to end it this time, Xe.  I don’t want him ever coming back into our lives… for any reason.  We’ve earned a respite.”

Xena wrapped both arms around Gabrielle’s torso, squeezing tightly as she brushed a kiss across her forehead before leaning a cheek on her head.  “We have.  So has the world for that matter, but I don’t think his chaos will disappear just because he does.  It’s too ingrained in their natures at this point.  But maybe we can make the world a better place to be.”

“Kinda like old times, huh?”

“Kinda,” Xena agreed as she closed her eyes for a moment to revel in the peace surrounding them.  “It’ll probably be a hell of a fight, but I think in the end he’s gonna lose.”

“So do I, but what makes you think that?”

“A lot of things, but mostly the fact that we have a kick-ass team of women that are determined that he won’t succeed.  We’re not doing this on our own anymore.”

“Isn’t it great to have such a vast, extended family?”

“Um hmm,” was all Xena answered, but it was enough.


Chapter XXV

“Ian,” Casey exclaimed as he stepped from Gabrielle’s office.  “What are you…?”  He raised his eyebrow, and she trailed off as realization dawned. Her eyes widened and blood flushed her cheeks.  “Oh my God… I am so sorry.  I completely spaced; I totally forgot….”  By this point he had moved across the room and taken her into his arms.  She stopped rambling when they wrapped around her, and she deliberately leaned into his embrace and absorbed the comfort she felt emanating from him.  She sighed deeply, then opened her lips to apologize again and found his finger across her lips.

“You have nothing to apologize for, Sweetheart.  Mi̱téra told me about your unexpected visitor; I’m just sorry I wasn’t here with you.  Even if I couldn’t have made it better, I could have been moral support.”  He looked down to find tears in her eyes and he tightened his hold just enough for her to feel it as he frowned.  “Do I need to go beat someone up for making you cry?”

She shook her head and wiped at the tear that had the audacity to actually start rolling down her face.  “No, because you’d have to beat up the man I am falling in love with, and no one is allowed to do that.”

She could feel his heartbeat pick up beneath her fingertips and saw the sheer joy shine in his eyes at her confession.  She smiled bashfully and dropped her gaze until she felt his fingers lightly tap her chin.  She looked up to find a dazzling smile lighting his whole face.  “It’s okay for you to be in love with me, Casey,” he whispered as though they were sharing a secret.  “I’m pretty sure I’ve fallen in love with you too.”

“Only pretty sure?” she asked coyly, though her giddiness was belied by the delight that lit up her features at his words.

He gave her a cocky smile.  “Yeah… I’m pretty sure it’s already happened for me.  I’ve known I was falling for a while now.  I just didn’t want you to feel obligated, ya know?  Not after everything you went through with Abbie and all.  I figured when you were ready, you’d let me know.”

She started laughing and wrapped her arms around his waist, reveling in his strength when her laughter turned to quiet tears.  He just held her gently and rocked her back and forth as she cried, then kissed her head as her sobs tapered off.  

“You okay?” he finally asked into the stillness.

She wiped her eyes and leaned back enough to meet his eyes, grinning up at him with wet lashes and a brilliant smile.  “I can honestly say I have never been better than I am at this moment.”

He studied her seriously for several heartbeats, then returned her smile.  “Good.  That makes me happy.”    He released her slightly, keeping their bodies in touch along their lengths while allowing them to gaze at one another.  “Should I ask where you went for such a long lunch?” glancing around pointedly.  “Because I don’t see nearly the shopping bags I expected after a round of retail therapy.”

Casey chuckled and leaned up to brush her lips against his.  He considered deepening it, then remembered they were still in Casey’s place of employment and his Mi̱téra and Dáskalos’ business.  Still, he lingered a moment despite the chaste nature of the kiss, then put their foreheads together.  “You are really good at that, ya know?”

This time when Casey laughed aloud, there was nothing but happiness in the sound.  “That’s because I have this great practice partner.  He’s always willing to sacrifice for the cause.”  Her smile was impish and her eyes were sparkling.

“Really?” he drawled.  “I might have to meet this guy… find out why he’s so dedicated.”

“Because he’s crazy about the woman who’s crazy about him,” said a voice from across the room, causing the two to separate, though they didn’t completely lose contact. They could feel the flush move across their features, and a sheepish expression replacing the tender one they’d been sharing.

“Xena!” Gabrielle chided.

“What?!” Casey and Ian smirked, trying to contain the mirth they felt when Xena whined.  “They’re both crazy about one another - they just said as much.  I don’t see why we need to keep pretending they’re just friends, when it’s obvious to everyone - even them - that they moved beyond that stage a little while ago.”

Gabrielle covered her eyes and shook her head.  “Can’t take you anywhere, I swear,” she mumbled, though it was perfectly clear to everyone in the room exactly what she’d just said.  She held up a hand when Xena started to retort.  “It doesn’t matter.  Send someone to go get our food, please.  Then we can bring them in and sit down and talk like adults.”

“We’ll go, Mi̱téra,” Ian offered as he relinquished his hold on Casey, accepting her proffered hand in return.  “That was originally the plan, after all, and we could use a few minutes.”

“So could we apparently,” Gabrielle muttered.  She handed him some money.  “Take it and go.  We already called in the order, and it should be ready by the time you get down there.”  She turned to Xena.  “Could I see you in my office please?” asked sweetly, but with a hint of iron behind her voice.  Neither one noticed when the younger two slipped out the door.

Xena nodded and extended her hand, gratified at the alacrity with which Gabrielle accepted it and smiling at the return squeeze she felt from Gabrielle when their hands were joined.  Even when she knew she was probably not really in trouble, she never turned down an opportunity to reassure Gabrielle and herself of the truth of their relationship through touch.  Too many times in the past, they had assumed an understanding instead of assuring one, and it had always ended badly. She felt a gentle tug on the clasp, and refocused her eyes to find Gabrielle watching her with her head slightly tilted and a curious expression on her face.

“You all right?” Gabrielle asked before she could.  “You seemed a little out of it.”

Xena covered their joined hands.  “I was just thinking... about how much the little things mean,” squeezing lightly and feeling Gabrielle tighten her grip almost reflexively.  Blue eyes met green, and she tilted her head slightly.  “I’m not really in trouble, am I?”

Gabrielle smirked and tugged on the hand she held until they were behind the closed doors of her office once more.  “You should be.  That was kinda irresponsible, Xe.”

Xena frowned and tightened her grip, though not hard enough to hurt.  “Who are you to decide that?  I just said out loud what everybody already knew!” she reiterated. “How was it irresponsible?”

Gabrielle sucked in a steadying breath and willed herself to a calmness she really didn’t feel - not with the roiling in her belly and the ire in her veins.  She narrowed her eyes and parted her lips to speak. “Imagine how we would have felt if someone had done that to us... especially when we were trying to figure things out for ourselves... despite the fact that everyone around us already knew,” said with a hint of frustration.  Then her eyes widened in realization.  “Why are we even arguing about this?”

Xena scowled.  “I dunno.  I just want them to find their happiness together.”

“I think they will, and you’re not really in trouble.”

“Then why were you yelling at me?”

“I wasn’t... not intentionally,” she hurried on before Xena could interject.  “But then I just got so furious at what I perceived was your flippant attitude towards the whole situation.”  Her eyes widened.  “You don’t suppose...?”

Blue eyes met horrified green, and Xena nodded.  “That Sal and those talismans are behind this somehow?  Yeah, I do.”

“It makes the most sense.  Neither of us has a tendency to shoot from the hip anymore… especially over something like this.” She sighed.  “Guess it’s a good thing Diana will be here today.  She’ll be able to keep an eye on both of us.”

Xena nodded.  “At least we know she can keep up and bring in backup if it’s needed.”  She held up a hand.  “I’ve already talked to her.  We’re not going down the same path we did before; I won’t allow it!” She drew in a deep shuddering breath.  “I won’t survive that again, Gabrielle,” she whispered.

Gabrielle stepped into Xena’s personal space and wrapped her in a strong embrace, relishing the strength of the return squeeze.  “I know, Love.  I wouldn’t either.”

They held onto one another for several long, silent moments, allowing their bond to flow between them and settle their discomfort.  Finally, Xena sighed and pulled away slightly, though she kept her arms loosely around Gabrielle.  “After we talk to Ian and Casey, I think we need to get Root and Brittany and Kurt in here for a thorough update.  If it’s starting to affect us - especially this harshly - then he must be closer than we expected,” smiling grimly at Gabrielle’s nod.  “That means we’re running out of time.”

“Aren’t we always?  It’s like the story of our lives.”  She smirked when she heard the outer office door open and close quietly, before the faintest murmur of voices could be heard.  “Sounds like the kids are back.”

“You think they’re angry at me?”

“Nah... they were too embarrassed at having been caught like that.  Now, they’ll forget their embarrassment being too busy trying to imagine the kind of trouble you’re in.”

“I have a feeling Ian is enjoying that idea a little more than is good for him.”. She sank down onto the comfortable couch and pulled Gabrielle down to curl up beside her.  They settled back into their familiar embrace, then Gabrielle twisted to look up at Xena’s face.

“He always did,” she offered with smile.  “You’ve always been his hero, and knowing you got into trouble too meant there was a chance he could be a hero as well... despite everything he had going against him.”

“I’m just glad we found him and Lee when we did,” brushing a kiss over blonde hair.

“Me too.  It was nice having kids to take care of for a little while.”

Xena chuckled.  “In case you haven’t noticed, Bard, they’re mostly still around and adding to their numbers as well.  I fully expect Colleen to come home from Europe with at least one suitor.”

Gabrielle covered her face with her hands.  “Please don’t say that.  I still haven’t recovered from that snake handler she brought home.” Then she smirked.  “I wonder if he ever recovered from meeting us.”

“Doubtful.  But he kinda deserved it after how he treated our girl.”

“True.  I don’t think Casey will do that to Ian.”

“Neither do I.  They balance each other out well.  At least we know they’ve figured it out.  It’ll be nice to welcome her into the family officially.” A pause.  “Though we might have to start looking for another assistant,” patting Gabrielle’s hand at the look of alarm on her face.  “We’re not going to fire her.  But she might not want to work for her in-laws either.  It could get awkward for her.”

“Yeah, kinda hard to complain about a crap day to your husband if you work for his parents, I guess,” biting her lip in thought.

“We’ll think about it, but we’ve got time.  Casey has to come to us about wanting to leave first.”. Gabrielle nodded but didn’t respond, shifting again until she was tucked beneath Xena’s chin.  That was how Ian found them a little while later when he finally knocked on the door to invite them for the lunch they’d retrieved... with food enough for an army.

************

The ride uptown had been silent, and Abbie had gone into the deli alone.  Alex had opened the brownstone and ushered Abbie in, leading her to the kitchen as she tapped out a message to Olivia on her phone.  Then she shoved her phone back into her pocket and moved to the cabinet that held the dishes, pulling out to plates and handing them to Abbie without a word.  She walked to the refrigerator and grabbed two of Olivia’s beers, making a mental note to pick up more later.  She popped the caps and set them on the table, then motioned to Abbie to take a seat.

Abbie, who had watched the entire process without saying a word, slid silently into the seat Alex proffered her and set the deli bag she still carried on the table, opening it slowly and pulling out a pastrami for herself and a Reuben for Alex.  She picked up her beer and tilted it towards Alex.

“To old friends?” she asked tentatively, cocking her head and looking wistful.

Alex smiled sadly and nodded.  “And to new beginnings.”

They tapped the necks together and took a swallow, then busied themselves unwrapping their sandwiches and digging in with relish.  For a few moments there was no sound beyond their contented moans and the crackling of paper, but when the first rush to sate their hunger had been satisfied, Abbie sat back with a sigh and took a long draught of beer.

“God, I have missed New York.  No one else seems to get pastrami just right.” She looked at her bottle and snorted.  “Benson’s really come up in the world when it comes to choosing her beer, I see.”

Alex smiled.  “I got her out of the cop bars and into a few microbreweries. She has developed quite a discerning palette for something besides the cheap stuff, and I’m happy to indulge that.”  She pointed the neck of her bottle in Abbie’s direction.  “However, this happens to be one of my favorites too.  Be thankful I was willing to share… especially after….”  She trailed off when Abbie’s eyes returned to her plate and her fingers started picking at the crumbs left behind from the part of her sandwich already eaten.  She sighed.  “What happened, Abbie?”

“I was an idiot,” she whispered with a self-deprecating shrug.  “I pushed when I shouldn’t have and kept secrets I should have shared.”  She shook her head and reached a hand up to wipe the tears that had slid down her face unbidden.  “I screwed up - I kept screwing up… sometimes intentionally, just to see how far Casey would let me - and eventually she got tired of it and left,” shrugging again.

“Without warning?”

Abbie shook her head again.  “No.  No, she told me that she was tired of me pushing her away; that I had promised to try and be better; that we were amazing together when I made a real effort to be part of a couple.  But she had also promised to be there with me despite everything….”

“… and you wanted to know how far that really meant.”

“Yeah,” she croaked softly, her head still down and her focus still on the fingers that were playing with the crumbs.

“What was her breaking point?”

Abbie sighed.  “It was a lot of little things - me staying late without the courtesy of calling to let her know; unwilling to be seen publicly with her despite how serious we truly were; lashing out at her for the stupidest littlest things when I’d had a bad day; overlooking things that were important to her; missing dates without reason….  You name it - I probably did it… especially near the end.  I was so terrified she was going to leave that eventually I pushed her into doing just that.”

“Did you ever talk about it?”

“She tried… for the longest time, and then she just stopped.  And when she left, I couldn’t begin to imagine what I could say to make things better, so I just stayed quiet.”

Blue eyes studied the downcast head for long moments before Alex tapped her chin and forced Abbie to meet her eyes.  “You’re an idiot,” she said solemnly with a hint of affection.  “Is there any chance…?” letting her words taper off when Abbie shook her head again, allowing the tears to spill freely.  Without a word, Alex rose and grabbed a box of tissues, setting them on the table and giving Abbie an opportunity to wipe her eyes and blow her nose before arching an eyebrow in question.

Abbie snorted and gave a half-smile at the silent directive.  “You’re one of the few people I know who can do that without saying a word - reminds me of my mama.”  Alex smirked but waited silently.  Abbie sighed again.  “She’s with someone - someone who treats her like she deserves to be treated.”

“Still, with your history….”

“No, Alex.  Ian is a good man, and he’s good to her and for her.  More than anything, I want her to be happy, and she is.  He gives her that and so much more.  Though, I suppose with his parents, he doesn’t dare do less,” giving Alex a tiny, sad smile at the look of confusion that crossed Alex’s face.  “Xena and Gabrielle adopted him and his sister when he was fifteen and she was twelve.”  Blue eyes widened comically, and Abbie had to laugh despite her sadness.  “Yeah, that was my first thought too, but he’s everything Casey deserves.”

“You had him investigated??”

“Of course not!  I looked him up as soon as I knew about him and Casey,” added with a hint of sheepishness.  “Despite everything, I still love her and only want the best for her.  I know that’s not me - it never was, really, if I’m honest - but I will cherish the time we had together.”

“You’re still friends?”

“Not yet, but I’d like to be.  Like I said, I know I’ll never be more… not again… but I would love to be part of her circle again if I can.”

“Is that why she wasn’t at the con?  Wait… does that mean she’s here in the City?  Why didn’t she say anything about this to me?  We’re friends… business partners, for God’s sake!”

“Yes, she’s here in the City; she’s working for Xena and Gabrielle.  And yes, you are friends, but we were friends first - you and me and Olivia.  She would never want to get in the way of that, I think; I’d guess she didn’t want to make you choose, thinking she’d lose.  I’m sure she’ll let you know when she’s ready.  The only reason I know is because I knew she was gone and figured she come back here.  It’s her home and has been for longer than DC ever was.  It wasn’t that hard to find her when I started looking.  I was actually a little surprised she didn’t go to the con, though, then I just figured she wasn’t ready to see me again.”

Alex slumped back a little, slightly hurt by Casey’s actions, but realizing she was only trying to protect herself and what she had.  Then her eyes widened.  Olivia was supposed to go see Xena and Gabrielle today - to get some answers about something that had been troubling her since the night the Headless Horseman appeared in New Orleans.  Abbie noticed her expression and straightened.

“What?”

“Liv went to talk to Gabrielle today.  That means….”

“… she probably ran into Casey.”  Abbie sighed.  “At least Liv will treat her with kindness and understanding.  Maybe you should ask her to come home.  She can tell you how Casey seemed.”

Alex nodded absently.  “You want to stay?”

“I’d love to, but I think I’ve done enough snooping where Casey is concerned.  At this point, I’d prefer she share with me because she wants me to know than for me to go digging or learn things second- or third-hand from my friends.  I’ve done so much wrong by her; it’s time I start doing right.”  She rose from her chair and wrapped up the remainder of her sandwich, swallowing down the last swig of beer before tossing the bottle in the recycling bin.  “Let Liv know I’d love to get together with you guys soon, all right?”  She walked out of the kitchen and down the hall to the front door, not surprised to find Alex following along behind her.  She opened the door partially and turned to look at Alex.  “Thanks for giving me a chance to tell my side of things, as bleak and uncharitable as it is.”  She headed out the door, but felt Alex grab her from behind before she could fully cross the threshold.  She turned and found herself wrapped in a strong, firm embrace.

“Don’t be a stranger anymore, Abbie,” Alex whispered in her ear before pulling away from her.  Abbie simply gave a nod and a teary smile, then stepped out of the brownstone and closed the door gently behind her.



Chapter XXVI

Abbie kept her head down, her focus on her feet and her hands stuck in the pockets of her slacks.  She walked slowly, blinking back the tears she could feel forming at Alex’s words.  So, she was taken by complete surprise when she bumped into a solid body, and she jerked her head up to find brown eyes staring pensively back at her even as strong arms moved to keep her solidly on her feet.

“You all right, Carmichael?” asked with a hint of teasing, though there was no smile in the eyes or lips.

Abbie cleared her throat and nodded her head.  “Yeah… yeah - thanks for the catch though.”

Olivia tilted her head, studying the resigned expression on the attorney’s face.  “Glad I was there.”  She paused a beat, narrowing her eyes at what was reflected back at her.  “You sure you’re okay?”

“I’m better than I’ve been.”  She shook her head.  “Talk to Alex.  She’ll fill you in.  Then if you still want to talk, well… you’ve got my number.”

Olivia continued to stare at her for another long few minutes before nodding.  “All right,” making sure she was steady before releasing the hold she had on Abbie’s arms.  “Don’t be a stranger,” she instructed as she slid past her and started up the steps to the brownstone.  “We’ve missed having you around.”

Abbie gave her a watery smile and nodded, offering a wave as she turned and made her way back towards downtown.  She wouldn’t walk the whole way of course, but right now she needed a few minutes alone to get herself together and back into a working frame of mind.  She didn’t notice Olivia’s eyes following her, then she was swallowed up in the miasma of pedestrians, and Olivia unlocked the door of the brownstone she and Alex shared and stepped inside.

“Alex?” not surprised to see a blonde head peek out from the kitchen and beckon her with the neck of a beer.  She accepted the open bottle as she crossed the threshold and took a long draught.  

“I guess we’ve got stories to swap, huh?” Alex said as she simply pushed the remainder of her sandwich in front of Olivia, then set a fresh beer in front of her as she took a seat and waited for Olivia to begin eating.  “Let me tell you about my morning.”

************

Maura opened the door and smiled beatifically at the blonde woman who opened her arms without hesitation.  She stepped into Lauren’s embrace and held on, allowing the bittersweet memories she shared with the woman to wash over her.  Jane and Bo stood back, allowing their other halves this moment, and eyeing one another warily.  After a minute of hugging and murmuring quietly to one another, Maura and Lauren pulled back from one another, smiling and wiping away tears.  Immediately, Jane moved into Maura’s personal space, awaiting an introduction, and Bo did the same with Lauren.  Lauren reached back and took Bo’s hand, pulling her forward until they were side by side.  Maura, by contrast, simply leaned into Jane’s lean form, soaking up the strength she so freely offered.

“Maura, this is my girlfriend, Bo.  She’s Fae… a succubus, actually.”  Though she didn’t expect a reaction from Maura at that piece of information, she was pleasantly surprised at her companion’s stoic expression.  Obviously, this woman was someone Maura truly trusted… which was good.  That would make things easier for everyone.

Bo, for her part, watched both women carefully.  She and Lauren had discussed sharing her true nature on the way down, and she had reluctantly agreed.  It didn’t mean she was entirely comfortable with it, but if Lauren trusted them, well… she could always take care of them later if they proved out otherwise.  She brought her hand up to accept the one Maura offered.

“It’s lovely to meet you, Bo,” Maura said softly.  “Lauren has been a friend for a number of years.”

“Likewise, Maura.”  She grinned.  “She’s told me some stories of some of the things you all got up to while you were working overseas - some of it a little more interesting than others.”

Maura chuckled.  “I have no doubt.”  She released Bo’s hand and reached for Jane’s, who surprisingly did not step forward but remained behind Maura with one hand wrapped around her middle.  Maura tilted her head back to meet Jane’s eyes and Jane smiled as she leaned down and brushed a kiss over the upturned nose.  “Jane?”

“You need my strength right now, Maur.  I’m sure they can both understand that.”  She looked up and offered her hand first to Lauren and then to Bo.  “Hi… I’m Jane Rizzoli - former Boston homicide detective; current special agent with the FBI out of the Boston office.  Would you like to come in?”

Her words startled Maura who was usually the epitome of well-bred manners.  “Oh my gosh, yes,” stepping out of Jane’s embrace and moving them both out of the doorway.  “Please come in.”  She waited as Lauren and Bo walked past them and into the living room, then closed the door before moving toward her kitchen.  “Can I offer you something to drink?”  

“I have a couple different kinds of Blue Moon if either of you drink beer,” Jane offered.  Maura glanced at her in surprise. Though Jane was by no means a stingy person - especially where her family was concerned - she was notorious for keeping her Blue Moon for herself.  She must have decided to at least reserve judgment on their visitors if she was willing to share, and it made Maura’s heart fill to overflowing.

Bo nodded. “I’d love a beer, actually.”

Jane nodded.  “Do you have a preference?”

“The Belgian White is my default, but whatever you’re having is fine with me.”

Jane grabbed two longnecks and popped the tops, then gestured towards the living room.  “Am I allowed to sit in on this reunion or should I go to the den?”

Lauren accepted the glass of red wine Maura had just passed her and shook her head.  “I would prefer for you to join us.”

Jane nodded and scooted between Maura and Lauren, taking a seat on the arm of the chair in which Maura was sitting. Bo took the seat next to Lauren and sat back, leaning casually against her. Lauren took a sip of her wine and looked at Maura intently. “Wonderful as it is to see you again - and to see you truly happy - I did have an underlying reason for this visit.”

“I assumed as much. We’re not exactly on your way to New York.”

Lauren smirked. “Yeah, I didn’t expect that to get by you.”

“So, does this have to do with the whole fae thing or is it about Xena and Gabrielle?”  Two sets of eyes turned toward Jane, and she widened her eyes and she shrugged. “Whaaat?” she whined. “I told you I was a detective. It’s common sense.”

Bo nodded. “Fair. What do you know about Fae, Agent?”

Jane shook her head. “Just Jane, please. We’re all meant to be friends here, right?”  Everyone nodded.  “Right. Maura told me about Africa or wherever,” waving her hand to keep anyone from interrupting.  “I can’t say I’ve given it a lot of thought - I never even considered the possibility of the supernatural being real until a few days ago.”

Bo leaned forward.  “What happened a few days ago?”

“Couple things,” Jane replied, meeting Bo’s eyes.  “We saw a Headless Horseman, and while I get that might not be a fae thing or whatever, it’s also not a normal, human thing either.  That plus what I saw with that one character on the Ghost Tour… Darius?” looking at Maura for confirmation despite the confusion on her face.  She didn’t see the startled reaction between the two women seated across from them.

“What did you see?” Lauren asked, leaning forward in a mirror image of the one Bo was in.

Jane shook her head and looked down at the beer she was cradling in her hands.  “It’s… you have to understand that in my job, observation is a thing - a huge thing.  And body language is a big part of that.  And I was watching him.”

“Why? Why were you watching him?  What brought him to your attention?”

“Part of what brought him to my attention were his efforts to remain unseen.  That was why I was watching him.  He really had no business being there - he wasn’t part of the convention - despite what happened with Dinah and what Abby said about him being a voodoo doctor.  I’m half-convinced he was the reason Dinah had such a vicious reaction in the first place.  I saw his eyes glow while his lips were moving.  If I didn’t know better, I’d have said he was casting a spell.”

“So… do you know better, or was he casting a spell?”

“Despite everything my head is telling me about what reality is, my gut says he was casting a spell.  It fills in so many holes and questions of things that otherwise can’t be explained.”

Bo and Lauren turned to look at one another, then returned their glances to Jane.  “Did you ever feel like your thoughts or emotions were being manipulated?”

“Yes!” Maura broke in suddenly.  “That’s exactly what it felt like.  It was subtle, but if you know what to look for, it was there.”  A frown marred her face.  “I wonder why I didn’t notice it before.”

“Because you’re really not supposed to.  A Siren is supposed be able to open minds to possibilities and encourage certain outcomes, unless he was going for mind control… in which case it wouldn’t have mattered if you’d seen him because you wouldn’t actually remember it.”  Bo frowned.  “It’s a little weird, though.  Most Fae are very careful about exposing themselves to humans.  We kind of like being able to live among you without truly being seen.”  She turned to Lauren.  “Do you think he knows he was seen?”

Lauren shook her head.  “Doubtful, though we can ask Trick.”  She turned back to Maura and Jane.  “Tell us more about your hosts… Xena and Gabrielle.”

Maura frowned again.  “I think you mean hostesses,” she corrected automatically, not seeing the affectionate look Jane and Lauren bestowed on her.  She pinched her bottom lips between her thumb and first finger, narrowing her eyes as she thought back.  “I thought they were exceedingly professional; the cons were well-run, and everyone on both sides of the hall seemed to get along.  Most of the activities were planned specifically for both conventions to come together and mingle.”  She frowned again.  “There also appeared to be an abnormal number of non-related multiples.”

Now Lauren frowned, more than a little confused at Maura’s words.  “Come again?”

Maura shook her head.  “I wish you could have seen it for yourself.  There was a woman there who looked just like me, except with darker hair.  As far as I can find, she is absolutely no relation to me nor I to her.  There were two women who favored Jane remarkably - they were cousins, but we can find no evidence of a familial relationship to Jane. And those are just the ones that impacted us directly.  There were several others.”

Lauren looked at Bo, who shook her head and shrugged.  “That is particularly odd and will take some serious study to find any sort of acceptable answer.  However, we are pretty far afield from the original inquiry.  What were your impressions of Xena and Gabrielle?”

Jane scowled.  “She already answered that.  They were gracious and professional and exceedingly good at what they do.”

“What are you looking for, Lauren?  What kind of answer do you want?” Maura cut in, wrapping an arm around one of Jane’s in an effort to help her calm down.  She could still feel the tension running rampant through the lithe frame, even though Jane turned and offered her a half-smile.  She smiled back and laid her head on Jane’s shoulder as she turned her focus back to Lauren, who was watching them with a tender smile.  She cocked her head as much as possible without moving it from Jane’s shoulder.  “What?” giving a nervous little grin.

“Nothing… nothing really.  It’s just good to see you finally happy.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so… comfortable… in your own skin or in front of other people.  It looks good on you,” watching as Jane embraced Maura tighter and Maura curled up into her.  “As for what I was looking for?  Your impressions mostly.  That Headless Horseman you saw?  We think that it has something to do with them specifically.”

“I don’t think so,” Jane cut in.  “They were as surprised and unhappy to see it as the rest of us.”

“Is that your professional opinion?”

“Yeah… it is.  Everyone thought it was Xena at first, you know?  Like they expected her to do something to heighten the scare factor of Gabrielle’s storytelling, because it would give that much more weight to the truth of the story Gabrielle had been telling. Her version of the Headless Horseman was different than any version I’d ever heard - it was horrifying, to tell you the truth.  When they realized that Xena was still standing on the stage beside Gabrielle… well, that was almost scarier than seeing the Headless Horseman herself.  Especially when you saw the expression on Xena and Gabrielle’s faces.”  She let her gaze go inward, then focused a piercing look on Lauren.  “It was one of disbelief… and maybe a little bit of fear.”

“I don’t think it was fear,” Maura contradicted.  “I think it was… hatred… or disdain.”

Jane shook her head.  “I don’t know, Maur.”  She turned to Lauren and Bo.  “We really don’t know them well enough to offer a lot of insight on them personally.  This was our first year attending.  But I don’t think they had anything to do with the Headless Horseman.”  A beat.  “Can I ask why you think they do?”

Bo and Lauren exchanged glances again, then Bo cleared her throat.  “We know for a fact that they are far more than they seem or present to the world.  We just wanted an honest assessment of their association of the Horseman.”

”Is the Horseman something known to you?  Some part of the Fae culture?”

Bo shook her head.  “No.  Whatever the Horseman is, it’s not Fae.  Meticulous records of the various types of Fae… light and dark… have been kept for millennia - this doesn’t appear anywhere.  Nothing even close.  And we think Xena and Gabrielle may know more about it.”

“Why do you need to know?” Jane asked, causing both Lauren and Bo to frown.  “C’mon - there’s obviously something much bigger in play here.  What’s going on?”

“We’re not sure,” Lauren admitted slowly.

“And it’s a long story,” Bo added.

Jane tapped Maura lightly to let her know to shift, then rose from her spot on the chair arm.  In another minute she was back from the kitchen, carrying the open bottle of wine and two fresh beers.  “We’ve got all the time you need, and I’ve got the local pizza place on speed dial if we need it.”

“All right,” Lauren agreed, topping off the two wine glasses before sitting back on the sofa.  “Let me start at the beginning.  Then we’ll go from there.”

************

“So, they’re like some kind of elevated Fae?” Jane asked.  “They have magic?”

Bo shook her head.  “No.  They aren’t Fae.  They are older than any of us.  And aside from their immortality, they have no magic we’re aware of.”  She cleared her throat.  “Truth be told, there’s very little known about them - it’s one reason Lauren wanted to stop by and get your impressions of them.  She knew Maura would be honest and factual with her information, and maybe we could gain some sort of insight on them.”

“You don’t trust your Blood King, then?” Jane asked starkly.

Bo thought about getting mad at the insinuation, then realized it was a viable question.  Lauren broke in before she could respond.  “It’s not that we don’t trust Trick.  It’s more that we’d like to have a little more insight about what we’re walking into.”

“Be forthright with them,” Maura counseled.  “If they are immortal as you claim, then they likely have little patience for game playing.  And I think they’ll appreciate honesty… even if it’s brutal.”

Lauren nodded.  “I can do that.  I was also hoping you could shed some light on the correlation between them and the Headless Horseman, but it seems like there may not be any.”

“Which begs the question - why did she show up in New Orleans?  And if the story Gabrielle told was even remotely based on fact, who was she there for?  And where has she been since then?”

Bo shrugged her shoulders and stood, reaching for Lauren’s hand and pulling her up beside her.  “We have a lot of questions and very few answers.  But if we’re going to get any, we need to be going.”  She drank the last of her beer and raised it in salute.  “Thank you for your hospitality.”

Jane and Maura rose as well.  “We’re glad you stopped by.  I wish we could have been more helpful.”

“It was worth the trip over just to see you again.  Let’s not let years go between visits, all right?” Lauren said with a hint of tears as she opened her arms for a final hug.  Maura stepped into her embrace and they held on for a moment, gently rocking back and forth.  Jane and Bo picked up the empty glasses and bottles and took them to the kitchen.

“You’ll let us know what you find out, will ya?” Jane asked.  “I know it’s not really our business now, but I feel like I’ve read part of a mystery story, and I’d kinda like to know how it ends.”

Bo smirked.  “I get it; I’d feel the same way if it was me.”  She pulled out her phone and handed it to Jane.  “Put your info in there, and I’ll keep you updated.”  Jane finished up and handed the phone back.

“Thanks.”

Bo nodded.  “Anytime.”  She looked at the two women slowly pulling away from each other.  “C’mon.  If we leave it to the two of them, we’ll be all day trying to get them to say goodbye.  And while I’m glad we took the time to come this way first, I don’t want to delay any more than is necessary.  Pretty sure Trick will try to wring my neck if he finds out about it.”

“What Trick doesn’t know won’t hurt him or us,” Lauren declared.  “But you’re right - we need to go.”  She turned to Jane.  “You two plan to come see us this spring.  I’m sure we can find all kinds of trouble to get into together.”

Jane nodded and smiled as she held the door open for them to leave.  “We will.  Let us know when you’re done with this business, and we’ll sit down and hammer out the details.”

“Sounds like a plan.  It was lovely to meet you, Jane, and you,” looking at Maura, “be happy.”

She wrapped her arm around Jane’s waist and leaned against her.  “I already am.”

Bo took Lauren’s hand and pulled her out the door.  “We’ll be seeing you.”

Jane and Maura stood in the doorway and watched them leave before turning to one another.  “They’re not telling us the whole story,” Jane stated.

Maura nodded her head.  “I got the same feeling.  But whatever the whole story is, I was able to meet up with a friend I thought was gone from my life, and that makes it worth it.  Maybe one day we’ll get to hear the rest.”

Jane looked down at the phone in her hand.  “Maybe one day.”



Chapter XXVII

Diana stood at the window, staring out over Lower Manhattan.  It wasn’t her normal stopping point when she was in New York, but she’d understood the need to have her in close proximity.  She let her mind wander back to the events leading up to her current situation.

************

She and Barbara had been working together with Paula in an effort to find the Guardians of the Talismans Xena had established millennia before, but it was not a simple or easy task.  Even with the names and heritages of the original Custodians, tracing their lineage forward was proving to be an almost impossible task.  Records were lost or missing; name changes hadn’t always been noted; children were adopted and lost in the system - the list went on and on with the things working against them.  Still, they had been pursuing every lead doggedly and with due diligence… when a call came from the Watchtower that took Diana away for several days.

So, no one was surprised when she headed directly to the lab the moment her wheels touched down on Paradise Island again.  The Amazons knew that Paula and Diana were working on something of paramount importance to both Queen and Consort, though none of them, not even Hippolyta, knew the exact parameters of their mission.

The look of relief that crossed Paula’s face when she crossed the threshold told Diana all she needed to know about the lack of progress being made.  She sighed and brought up their notes, then connected Barbara to them so they could measure the amount of progress they were making.

It was while they were strategizing and making plans to meet that the one communication device that she never wanted to hear beeped for her attention.  Diana closed her eyes a brief moment, sending up a prayer to her patron goddesses before she took a deep breath.  She felt Paula squeeze her shoulder in a show of strength and understanding, then she slid out from the communication console, allowing Paula to slide seamlessly into her place.  She heard Barbara ask if everything was all right, and Paula offer some believable excuse as she took the call.  When it was over, she took another deep breath and closed her eyes to center herself, then she left the lab without a word and headed to the Palace.

She went to her rooms first, stopping long enough for a shower to revive her for the long journey she was fixing to undertake and packing up the things she suspected she would need before this was all over.  She prayed she was wrong, but she’d made a promise to the Consort of her Queen, and she intended to keep it… no matter what.  Then she set off to find her mother.

************

“Mother?” Diana queried with a frown on her face as she pushed open the door to the Queen’s chambers.

“Out here, Dear,” Hippolyta replied from the lanai.  She looked over her shoulder absently and waved Diana towards her with the quill clutched in her hand.  “I’ve been making some last minute notes for the All Hallows Eve party.  I know the Queen and her Consort will be here, as well as your JLA friends,” glancing down at the scroll in her hands.  “Have you heard from anyone...?”  She stopped speaking when she felt a firm squeeze on her shoulder before Diana brushed by her to stand at the railing with her eyes focused on the blue-green surf currently crashing small waves against the beach.  Hippolyta frowned.  “Diana?”  She set her writing materials aside and rose, walking over to stand at Diana’s side.  “Daughter?”

Diana clenched the rail she was leaning against briefly, knuckles whitening at the strength of her grip.  She took a deep breath and blinked rapidly, forcing her expression into a vague semblance of normal before turning to face her mother. From Hippolyta’s gasp, it was clear she wasn’t entirely successful, but otherwise, her only response was to grasp Diana’s bicep and wait for the Princess to speak.  Diana cleared her throat softly.

“I just received a summons from the Queen’s Consort.  I must return to the world of men immediately.”

“Why?  You’ve only just arrived home for the party, and we have so many little details to oversee and....”  She shook her head and sighed, knowing her panicked rambling for the delaying tactic it was.  Having Xena recall Diana to man’s world now, when she and the Queen were expected on Paradise Island within the next few days, did not bode well for any reason.  She swallowed quietly and took a deep breath. “What’s happened??  What’s wrong??”

Diana shook her head.  “I’m not sure.  Xena asked for my help.”

“And this is more important than…?”

“I don’t know yet, but I think so.”  She paused, then sighed.  “You’ve been so patient, not asking for or demanding answers about what Paula and I have been working on.”  Her eyes dropped to the ground and she sighed again, heavily. “We’ve been researching… looking for the Guardians of Saligia’s Talismans,” nodding in confirmation when Hippolyta’s eyes widened.  “We’re not the only ones looking for him.  Xena has her whole team on this.  It’s… Mother, I’m worried.  She didn’t seem to be in danger, but she was definitely uncomfortable. Something must have changed….”

“In her behavior?”

“At least in the circumstances.” was the instant answer.  “We’re working with the idea that he’ll make his move on All Hallows Eve, but it’s entirely possible he’s moving quicker than we anticipated.” Diana seized Hippolyta’s hands and squeezed them gently before releasing them.  “I need to go.  Can you let Paula know what’s going on… why I had to leave?”

“I’m on it,” Hippolyta replied.  “I’ll keep you informed and you do the same.  We’ll be ready in case....”

Diana nodded again.  “I just hope it doesn’t come to that,” turning and striding out of the royal quarters.  

Hippolyta remained completely still for several moments after Diana disappeared.  “Me too,” she finally said to no one, then moved swiftly towards the temple.  She had work to do.

************

Her mother had been stalwart in her execution and had been in touch with her before she even landed in New York. Paula had convinced Barbara and her crew to meet them in New York, and even now, they were on their way.  It would be good to see the Birds again, and in any case, gave Diana another ally if drastic measures had to be taken.  She was hoping… praying… they wouldn’t be necessary, but there was no way the Amazon Nation was going to be caught unprepared again.

Fortunately, she didn’t think it was going to come to that, this time.  Just the amount of concern in Xena’s eyes was enough to put many of her fears to rest.  That and the fact that Xena herself had asked for Diana’s help in making sure things didn’t go too far meant they were already steps ahead this time.  She smiled as her thoughts wandered back to the meeting she’d had with Xena in the dark, wee hours of the morning this morning as soon as she’d rolled into town.  Somehow, she wasn’t quite surprised to see Lucy waiting for her at the airfield.

************

“And how did you get stuck with babysitting duty at way-too-early-o’clock?” Diana asked with a smile that Lucy reciprocated.

“I volunteered,” Lucy countered, taking Diana’s bag and nearly wrenching her shoulder out of the socket as she went to heft it into the trunk.  She gave Diana a dirty look. “Did you put gold bricks in here or something to see if I could lift it?”

Diana rolled her eyes.  “I didn’t actually expect you to try and lift it.”  She brushed Lucy aside gently and put the bag into the truck before closing it.  “Superhero, remember?  I don’t have the same limitations as most humans, so it’s not a consideration for me when I pack a bag.”

Lucy studied her a moment longer, then nodded her head.  “I suppose that’s fair.  You didn’t even know I was going to be here, did you?”

Diana shook her head.  “I assumed it would be MacGregor like it usually is.  And he learned a long time ago to leave my bags to me.  Is something wrong?  I mean that MacGregor’s not here?”

“Not wrong, really.  His wife just had a kid, so Xena and Gabrielle made sure he had time off to spend with them.  When we got word you were coming in, I volunteered to come get you… like I said.”

“And why did you volunteer?  I know there are a few others that could.”

Lucy shrugged and started the car, not taking her eyes from the road.  “Maybe, but most of them have assignments right now.  Me… I’m just a loose end, and I wanted to do something to help, ya know?  Be a part of this whole thing.  So, when Xena said you were due in. I told her I’d come get you.”

Diana leaned over and patted her arm.  “I’m glad you did; I appreciate the ride.”  That got her a smile, and the rest of the journey was made in silence.  She wasn’t surprised to see Lucy pull into the underground garage of the WarriorBard Enterprises building, and as soon as they were inside, Lucy took her keycard and steered them to the elevator that would take them to the guest suites she knew had been prepared.  Diana cocked her head in question when she saw where they were headed.

“Trust me,” Lucy replied to the unspoken question.  “I’m just doing what I was told.  And since I can’t actually take your bag to your room for you, I thought we’d do that on our way up.”  Diana nodded again, though she was still a little unclear about what was going on.  But she dutifully placed her bag in the room that was apparently hers, then resumed her elevator ride until she was standing in Xena’s office.  Lucy nodded and waved when Xena offered her thanks and they waited until they heard the elevator doors close and the machine start its descent before Xena spoke.

“Diana, thank you for coming so quickly,” Xena welcomed as she closed the door to her office behind them.  She motioned to the darkened fireplace, gesturing for Diana to take a seat before she seated herself.  Diana returned her serious regard.

“Of course, Consort.  You made it seem quite urgent.”  She leaned back in her chair and casually crossed her legs in an effort to relax.  Xena nodded and did the same.

“I think it might be.  I haven’t... it’s.... It’s been a very, very long time since....” She huffed out an impatient breath.  “How familiar are you with our story of Saligia… mine and Gabrielle’s?”

“Quite.  You and the Queen were already legends within the Amazon community by then – your history is required reading still… though some of it gets more attention than others, naturally,” offering a small grin before it faded as she continued.  “Parts of it are obviously more important.  Saligia’s story is right at the top of the list of things every Amazon is required to know.”

“Still?”

“Always.  It is something that is still talked about… especially at this time of year.”

Now Xena looked intrigued.  “Really?  How is it that I’ve never heard inklings of any of these discussions?”

“Probably because Mother put a moratorium on the subject centuries ago.  Whenever you and Gabrielle come home to Paradise Island, the topic is off-limits.  But in fairness, very little of your pasts, beyond this and one or two other incidents, gets brought up even when you’re not there.”

Xena frowned.  “May I ask why?”

Diana smiled gently.  “To which part?” asked even as she waved away Xena’s opportunity to answer.  “Most of your lives and history are taboo, honestly, because it’s your *life* - you’re still *living* it.  It’s considered bad form to talk out of turn.”  She shrugged.  “We figure if you want to talk about things, you’ll bring them up.  Otherwise....”  She shrugged again.  “The only reason we keep up with the stories we do is so we can be prepared in case anything happens.”

Xena contemplated this for several long moments, maintaining eye contact with Diana as she mulled over her words.  Then she jerked her head briskly.  “All right.  How goes your search?”

Diana’s expression scrunched into one of frustration. “Not well,” she replied honestly.  “I’ve asked Barbara to come here in the hope that we can figure out a way to find what we’re missing.”  She held up a hand before Xena could ask.  “It’s like looking for a single needle in a single haystack in a field that is filled with haystacks because we’re trying to piece a lot of the records together.  I think if we can get together with Root and Brittany, between us we can find the pieces that will lead us to the Guardians.”

“It’s possible,” Xena agreed slowly.  “I’ve been working on it as well, with no success.  Between the talismans, the Guardians and the Headless Horseman, there are just so many dead ends.”  

“Is there a connection?  Is the Headless Horseman part of this whole Saligia thing?”

Xena shrugged.  “I don’t know, but I don’t know that she’s not either.  The timing of her appearance is suspect at least, so we are doing what we can to find out who she really is and how she came to be in New Orleans on Arthur Beaumont’s hobby farm that night.  So far we can’t find anything beyond the legend Gabrielle told.”  She shook her head and blew out a breath.  “You’ll keep me posted on your progress?”

“Of course, Consort.”  She rose from her chair and smoothed down her clothes before turning to meet Xena’s blue eyes again.  “Does Gabrielle know?  About…?” afraid to voice her concern further.

“Yes,” Xena replied stonily, though she refused to elaborate further.

“Very well,” she acknowledged.  “I’ll talk to Barbara,” accepting the keycard Xena was extending, “as well as Paula. You know as well as I do that we’ll have a lot better chance of success with her research, and she’s been working on this longer than the rest of us.”

“Agreed,” Xena said with a sigh.  “But try to keep those in the know to a minimum.  I know you’ve read about the Warrior Princess, but you’ve never met the Destroyer of Nations.”

Diana’s eyes widened.  “You really think...?”

“There’s a reason Dite has Hephaestus on speed dial.”

“I’ll let you know as soon as we find something.  You’ll keep me posted as well?”

“Of course.”  Xena rose and proffered her hand.  Diana ignored the hand and wrapped Xena in a strong embrace.  “Thank you, Diana,” she said on a whispered breath.

“Any time, my friend.  Thank you for trusting me to help you.”  She pulled away when Xena’s grasp relaxed and walked to the door.  “I’ll be in touch,” twisting the knob and opening it slightly.

“See that you are,” Xena answered with a smirk. Diana gave a little salute, then promptly crossed the threshold and closed the door behind her.  Xena resumed her place behind the desk and took a seat.  It was almost daylight before she turned out the light and headed back upstairs to Gabrielle and her bed.

************

Diana turned away from the window when she heard the knock on her door.  She crossed the room in a few, swift strides and flung the door open, unsurprised to see Gabrielle standing in front of her.  Before she could even think to bow or even nod her head, Gabrielle opened her arms wide, and Diana stepped into them with alacrity.  She held on for a long moment, sensing the Queen needed a moment, and only when Gabrielle pulled away did she ease her hold.

“Thank you for coming so quickly,” Gabrielle said as Diana stepped back to allow her inside.  “Did you get any sleep today?” knowing it had been very, very late when Xena had finally come to bed.

“Enough,” Diana assured her.  

“Good.  I’m sure you know the Birds are expected in sometime this evening,” smiling when she saw Diana nod.  “I hope you know how much we appreciate….”

“Gabrielle,” Diana cut in before she could finish.  “You are my Queen, and it is my duty to help you in any way I can… especially when a threat this great is being made against you as well as the Nation.  But beyond that, I’m happy to be in a position to help as your friend, although I am truly sorry it is necessary.  No one wants this bastard to be free, roaming the world and stirring more chaos than is already prevalent. He needs to be stopped - once and for all.”

Gabrielle’s eyes were watery, but she refused to let them fall as she offered Diana a genuine smile.  “Thank you,” she said, clutching Diana’s hand tightly and squeezing.  She drew a deep breath and blinked the tears out of her eyes.  “Now, come join us for dinner.  Ian is staying and I’m sure Kurt will be thrilled to see you again.”

Diana rolled her eyes, but couldn’t keep the smile from her face.  “As long as he doesn’t try to talk me into being in whatever next great show he’s planning on putting on Broadway again.  I never should have let him hear me sing.”

Gabrielle chuckled and linked their arms together as she tugged her towards the door.  “You’ll be happy to know that I haven’t had time to read anything for him lately, so everything is on hold until then.  Maybe by then, you’ll be back on Themiscyra.”

“Or the Watchtower,” Diana replied wryly.  “Pretty sure he can’t reach me there.”

Gabrielle snorted.  “I wouldn’t bet on it,” said dryly and drawing a chuckle from Diana as they entered the elevator.   They were still laughing when the doors opened into the Penthouse and they were warmly welcomed by the friends waiting there.  For Diana, it was a lot like old home week, and a tiny part of her was glad for the excuse to come to New York and spend a little time with people she otherwise didn’t see with any regularity.  She greeted Lucy and Amy, then Root and Shaw; Kurt and his son demanded hugs and kisses before letting her move on; and of course Ian picked her up and spun her around despite her squealing, and she punched his shoulder when he put her down before moving on and taking Casey’s hand to pull her in for a hug.  When she’d made the rounds, she turned back to Xena and Gabrielle who were watching the proceedings with amusement, and put a hand on her hip.

“Is it dinner time yet?  Because I‘m starving!”

Xena snorted and Gabrielle laughed, and they moved towards the dining room, ushering the rest in front of them.  “You better be,” Xena commented as they moved to take their seats around the table.  “Gabrielle made plenty,” motioning to the laden table.

It wasn’t long before dishes were being passed and plates being filled, then the only sounds to be heard were those of silverware on china and moans of contentment and satisfaction.  And when the eating finally slowed, conversation was wild and varied, and there was a moratorium against any mention of work… or Saligia.  That time was approaching again quickly, and each of them were grateful for every single moment the short respite afforded them.

Part 4